Evgenij Kozlov on the Leningrad Eighties and the “New Artists” page 3


Questions by Yelena Fedotova, art magazine “Artchronika” (Moscow), on the occasion of the exhibition
“Brushstroke. New Artists and Necrorealists 1982-1991” at the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, February-May 2010


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page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 english
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When did the gallery get its name? Why ASSA? What was the gallery’s first exhibition?


The name “ASSA”, the very combination of these four letters is, as far as I know, coined by the Russian folk. In any case and to my knowledge, no one has ever claimed its authorship. But as Timur’s studio always remained a studio for me, I have never had much interest in the matter.

I do not remember the date of the first exhibition, but in my opinion there was a quite important one in 1984. At least it is the date imprinted on the negative filmstrip which I used to take pictures of the exhibition. Besides my own works, among which was an excellent and alluring work “Commissars” more >> that later disappeared (according to rumors, cut from the stretcher and sold to a French diplomat), there were paintings by Kirill Khazanovich, Timur Novikov, Oleg Kotelnikov, Vadim Ovchinnikov and others, by Ivan Sotnikov, perhaps. Art critics will be able to identify them, especially when it comes to the works which were co-produced. Today, several works from that and other exhibitions belong to the collection of the Russian Museum.


Exhibition of the “New Artists” at “ASSA” Gallery, 1984

Еvgenij Kozlov, Тimur Novikov mit Arbeiten von Е. Kozlov Evgenij Kozlov vor seinen Collagen inks: E. Kozlov,  „Кommissare“   Das Gemälde ist verschollen. rechts: Kirill Khazanovich, „Buchstabenspiel" Sammlung Russisches Museum, St. Petersburg
Еvgenij Kozlov,
Тimur Novikov
with works by Е. Kozlov

Evgenij Kozlov standing in front of his collages on the left: E. Kozlov, “Commissars”
click to enlarge the picture >>
The painting has disappeared.

on the right: Kirill Khazanovich, "Game with letters"
collection of the Russian Museum, St. Petersburg



Transporting works to Timur’s place was a rather cumbersome thing to do, and after the exhibition I was not particularly eager to bring them back home, all the less because I already lived in Petergof at that time. After all, who wants to walk alone at 23:30, carrying some 10-15 paintings, take the tram, then the tube, travel 45 minutes by suburban train, then by bus and finally drag the paintings upstairs to the fifth floor into a two-room flat?

In this way, Timur accumulated a certain amount of works, which later formed his “collection”. In the 1990s, he gave part of this collection to the Russian Museum. He had to exert all his efforts to make the museum accept the works because at those times this kind of art was not thought worthy of being part of a museum collection. All of us, including myself, must be grateful to him in that he succeeded.


Exhibition of the “New Artists” at “ASSA” Gallery, 1984
E. Kozlov, Gemälde, Fotocollagen Е. Kozlov,  o.T.(Young Lady) 23x16 cm, 1984 Е. Кozlov „Portrait А. Boiko“ 23,4х17 сm, 1984
E. Kozlov: painting, photo collages
small photo collages: see pictures on the right
Е. Kozlov,
untitled (Young Lady)
23x16 cm, 1984
Е. Кozlov
“Portrait of А. Boiko”
23.4 х17 сm, 1984

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Ausstellung in der Galerie ASSA. «Die Neuen Künstler» Evgenij Kozlov, Kirill Khazanovich, Timur Novikov, Oleg Kotelnikov, Vadim Ovchinnikov
Выставка в галерее АССА. «Новые худжники» Евгений Козлов, Кирилл Хазанович, Тимур Новиков, Олега Котельников, Вадим Овчинников