Arsen Avetissian
Born in 1971 in Yerevan. An untimely genius whose sculpture has already become a page in the history of art. The author of significant city monuments for St. Petersburg.
Arsen Avetissian (1971-2004). Armenian and Russian sculptor, member of the Union of Artists of Russia, member of the Union of Artists of Armenia, Arsen Avetissian member of the UNESCO International Federation of Artists.
was born on 27 May 1971 in Yerevan in a creative family. His father is Arsen Avetissian, a famous sculptor, author of monumental compositions installed in Kiev, Washington and Paris. His mother is Zhanna Simonyan, a talented artist whose tapestries are kept in the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.
After graduating the Yerevan Academy of Arts, Arsen Avetissian lived and worked in St. Petersburg, where his talent was fully revealed. The city on the Neva got acquainted with Arsen for the first time in 1993 and recognised him first of all by his works of small plastic art, elegant chamber works. After a few years, he began to create large urban sculptures, which became new symbols of the city. Arsen Avetissian created the sculptural series "Venice", "Underwater Kingdom", "Libido", "Rivals", sculptural compositions "Reflection on the Little Prince" in the courtyard of the Philological Faculty of St. Petersburg University; "The Circus Has Arrived", near the circus building on the Fontanka and others, which along with the classics met the strict requirements and tastes of the residents and guests of St. Petersburg, gradually becoming new symbols of the city on the Neva. In Zelenogorsk on 31 July 2004 the monument "Reconciliation" dedicated to the victims of the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) was opened.
Since 1993 Arsen Avetissian has participated in more than 30 exhibitions. Series of his works were exhibited not only in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but also in Strasbourg, Antwerp, New York, Paris and London. His works have found a place in various collections and museums in many countries of the world. On 21 October 2004, Arsen Avetissian, his wife Olga and their three-month-old daughter Satine-Michel died in a car accident. The sculptor was buried in Paris. At the Smolensk Armenian Cemetery in St Petersburg, where his wife and daughter are buried, there is a monument with his name embossed on it.
was born on 27 May 1971 in Yerevan in a creative family. His father is Arsen Avetissian, a famous sculptor, author of monumental compositions installed in Kiev, Washington and Paris. His mother is Zhanna Simonyan, a talented artist whose tapestries are kept in the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.
After graduating the Yerevan Academy of Arts, Arsen Avetissian lived and worked in St. Petersburg, where his talent was fully revealed. The city on the Neva got acquainted with Arsen for the first time in 1993 and recognised him first of all by his works of small plastic art, elegant chamber works. After a few years, he began to create large urban sculptures, which became new symbols of the city. Arsen Avetissian created the sculptural series "Venice", "Underwater Kingdom", "Libido", "Rivals", sculptural compositions "Reflection on the Little Prince" in the courtyard of the Philological Faculty of St. Petersburg University; "The Circus Has Arrived", near the circus building on the Fontanka and others, which along with the classics met the strict requirements and tastes of the residents and guests of St. Petersburg, gradually becoming new symbols of the city on the Neva. In Zelenogorsk on 31 July 2004 the monument "Reconciliation" dedicated to the victims of the Soviet-Finnish War (1939-1940) was opened.
Since 1993 Arsen Avetissian has participated in more than 30 exhibitions. Series of his works were exhibited not only in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but also in Strasbourg, Antwerp, New York, Paris and London. His works have found a place in various collections and museums in many countries of the world. On 21 October 2004, Arsen Avetissian, his wife Olga and their three-month-old daughter Satine-Michel died in a car accident. The sculptor was buried in Paris. At the Smolensk Armenian Cemetery in St Petersburg, where his wife and daughter are buried, there is a monument with his name embossed on it.
2003
Personal exhibition. ”Alla Bulyanskaya Gallery”. London, United Kingdom
2002
Moscow International Art Salon ”Central House of Artists’2002". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
Participation in the exhibition ”Family of Artists". Commerce, France.
Opening of the sculpture composition ”The Road to the carnival”. Zelenogorsk, Lenin Avenue 24. Russia
The opening of the sculptural composition ”Reflection on the Little Prince". ”Park of Modern sculpture". St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Philology. Saint Petersburg, Russia
2001
Personal exhibition. ”Masquerade". ”Gallery of Alla Bulyanskaya". Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia
Solo exhibition at the International Film Festival ”Kinotavr 2001". New York, USA
Moscow International Art Salon ”CHA’2001". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
Gallery ”Paradox". Strasbourg, France
Exhibition in the sculptor's workshop - Arsen Studio. Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Installation of the sculptural composition ”The Circus has arrived". Belinsky Square,
St. Petersburg State Circus on Fontanka. Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Gallery ”Anna". Hotel "Nevsky Palace". Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2000
Personal exhibition. ”A playful smile.” Business center ”Northern Capital". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Moscow International Art Salon ”Central House of Artists’2000". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
”The New Century. Contemporary Russian Art”. The project ”Galleries of Alla Bulyanskaya". Embassy of the Russian Federation in the UK. London, United Kingdom
International Art Fair ”Art-Manege’2000". Central Exhibition Center ”Manege". Moscow, Russia
International Art Fair ”artLONDON2000". London, United Kingdom
Kapelleke Gallery. Antwerp, Belgium
1999
Komarov Gallery. New York, USA
Gallery ”Forum des Arts". Paris, France
Moscow International Art Salon ”CHA’99". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
1998
International Art Fair ”Art-Manege’98". Central Exhibition Center ”Manege". Moscow, Russia
”Cite des Art International”. Paris, France
"New Century” is a permanent exhibition in the Gallery of Alla Bulyanskaya. The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
1997
Personal exhibition. Restaurant ”La Strada". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Personal exhibition. Grand Hotel ”Europe". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Gallery ”Brayer". Paris, France
1996
Personal exhibition. Gallery ”Nevsky, 20". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Personal exhibition. Gallery ”Palette". Saint Petersburg, Russia
1994
The U.S. Consulate. Sofia, Bulgaria
Personal exhibition. ”Jazz Philarmonic Hall”. Saint Petersburg, Russia
1993
”The whole of St. Petersburg.” City exhibition. Saint Petersburg, Russia
Gallery ”Nevsky, 20". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Personal exhibition. ”Alla Bulyanskaya Gallery”. London, United Kingdom
2002
Moscow International Art Salon ”Central House of Artists’2002". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
Participation in the exhibition ”Family of Artists". Commerce, France.
Opening of the sculpture composition ”The Road to the carnival”. Zelenogorsk, Lenin Avenue 24. Russia
The opening of the sculptural composition ”Reflection on the Little Prince". ”Park of Modern sculpture". St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Philology. Saint Petersburg, Russia
2001
Personal exhibition. ”Masquerade". ”Gallery of Alla Bulyanskaya". Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia
Solo exhibition at the International Film Festival ”Kinotavr 2001". New York, USA
Moscow International Art Salon ”CHA’2001". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
Gallery ”Paradox". Strasbourg, France
Exhibition in the sculptor's workshop - Arsen Studio. Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Installation of the sculptural composition ”The Circus has arrived". Belinsky Square,
St. Petersburg State Circus on Fontanka. Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Gallery ”Anna". Hotel "Nevsky Palace". Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2000
Personal exhibition. ”A playful smile.” Business center ”Northern Capital". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Moscow International Art Salon ”Central House of Artists’2000". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
”The New Century. Contemporary Russian Art”. The project ”Galleries of Alla Bulyanskaya". Embassy of the Russian Federation in the UK. London, United Kingdom
International Art Fair ”Art-Manege’2000". Central Exhibition Center ”Manege". Moscow, Russia
International Art Fair ”artLONDON2000". London, United Kingdom
Kapelleke Gallery. Antwerp, Belgium
1999
Komarov Gallery. New York, USA
Gallery ”Forum des Arts". Paris, France
Moscow International Art Salon ”CHA’99". The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
1998
International Art Fair ”Art-Manege’98". Central Exhibition Center ”Manege". Moscow, Russia
”Cite des Art International”. Paris, France
"New Century” is a permanent exhibition in the Gallery of Alla Bulyanskaya. The Central House of the Artist. Moscow, Russia
1997
Personal exhibition. Restaurant ”La Strada". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Personal exhibition. Grand Hotel ”Europe". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Gallery ”Brayer". Paris, France
1996
Personal exhibition. Gallery ”Nevsky, 20". Saint Petersburg, Russia
Personal exhibition. Gallery ”Palette". Saint Petersburg, Russia
1994
The U.S. Consulate. Sofia, Bulgaria
Personal exhibition. ”Jazz Philarmonic Hall”. Saint Petersburg, Russia
1993
”The whole of St. Petersburg.” City exhibition. Saint Petersburg, Russia
Gallery ”Nevsky, 20". Saint Petersburg, Russia
The multicolour of Arsen's bronze
Arsen's work is, first and foremost, a style, developed and honed, vivid and imaginative. In small, almost jewel-like sculptures, the subtle nuances of the unreal world of mystery and various allegories are expressed in slightly pretentious, slightly mannered forms, saturated with colour and decoration. The shimmer of his bronzes, combined with deafening tones of patination - black, green, blue, cherry colour - fascinate with their mystical intonations.
Whatever works Arsen creates, he avoids the obvious signs of the real world. The symbolic-allegorical language was developed gradually. At an early stage, probably out of his realisation of the many faces and eternal duality of the world, he turns to masks, clowns, jesters. Sometimes the masks turn into peculiar pedestals or parts of compositions.
Gradually, the young master develops a desire to talk about serious things while laughing. He turns to the theme of the circus, carnival, to the theme of the masquerade of human life. The series "The Circus Has Arrived" is acutely expressive in composition and movement. The author is repelled by the unusual plasticity of acrobatic etudes and creates unexpected images. Arsen says: "It so happens that a monument should be dedicated to something - a writer, a scientist, an event. Why not just do sculptures. After all, it's beautiful!". One of the works in the series - "The Circus Has Arrived" - the artist proposes to install near the old building of the St Petersburg Circus. Perhaps his virtuoso clowns will find their place under our northern sky, because each of his smallest compositions is monumental in its basis.
An important, one could say turning point, as Arsen believes, was 1998, when he visited New York for the first time. The city, as if bewitched him with large-scale building projects and incomparable pace of everything. Here also acquaintance with the owner of the gallery on the 5th Avenue Felix Komarov - a person extraordinary, whose advice will greatly help in the future to pass a stage in creativity and go to another facet. Soon new series "Libido" and "Venice" appear.
The Libido series is a story of subconscious aspirations, spicy hidden fantasies. The compositions are two-figure, sometimes becoming three or four-part, sometimes enriched with expressive accessories - cast images of musical instruments, clown hats, tambourines, fans and endless masks. It seems that the sculptor is playing his favourite eternal, uncomplicated, though pretentious game. In the bronze is frozen a moment, not long perishable beauty of vice - these are "Recess", "Masquerade", "Joking Love", "Joking Pleasures", "Torra", "Torre", "Libido" and other compositions. All these love follies are highly eccentric, charmingly intriguingly vicious, and fascinatingly appealing in their unexpected beauty of plasticity.
And finally, the Venice series. It includes the romanticised "Confession of a Gondolier" and "Joking Dances", whose elements seem to be woven from merriment, luxury and idleness. The latter feeling manifests itself not from embellishment, but is born from the variety of plastic bends, turns, poses. In his "Teasing", full of humour, inaccessible women-goddesses for a moment turn into courtesan sinners. And in all the works of the series there is a character - spy - the place of action - shining in the night with golden lustre Venetian gondola, transformed by the master into a smiling clown mask. And all this marvellous Venetian world is possible only in a fairy-tale beautiful night. And then in an exquisite and voluptuous vertical intertwine, it seems, at the last moment of parting, two figures - male and female - in the composition "Night of Venice". It seems that the dark figure, studded with stars, despite the doomed attempt to hold on to it, is about to dissolve into the coming pale dawn. And "Venice" floating before the viewer - with its luxury and sensuality of the night, with the frank theatricality of love and passion, with the interweaving of light and shadow, with the magic of evening twilight, in which Arsen's bronze riddles light up, will also dissolve in the flow of time.
Arsen's works are always sad, or openly humorous, or exquisitely refined, or actively extravagant and erotic - they always become an aspiration to creative freedom and beauty, a manifestation of the innate elegance of thought and feeling. The master's compositions are addressed to the intellectual viewer capable of feeling allegories, subtext, grotesque, to the viewer capable of perceiving the luxury of serious games.
Arsen's work is, first and foremost, a style, developed and honed, vivid and imaginative. In small, almost jewel-like sculptures, the subtle nuances of the unreal world of mystery and various allegories are expressed in slightly pretentious, slightly mannered forms, saturated with colour and decoration. The shimmer of his bronzes, combined with deafening tones of patination - black, green, blue, cherry colour - fascinate with their mystical intonations.
Whatever works Arsen creates, he avoids the obvious signs of the real world. The symbolic-allegorical language was developed gradually. At an early stage, probably out of his realisation of the many faces and eternal duality of the world, he turns to masks, clowns, jesters. Sometimes the masks turn into peculiar pedestals or parts of compositions.
Gradually, the young master develops a desire to talk about serious things while laughing. He turns to the theme of the circus, carnival, to the theme of the masquerade of human life. The series "The Circus Has Arrived" is acutely expressive in composition and movement. The author is repelled by the unusual plasticity of acrobatic etudes and creates unexpected images. Arsen says: "It so happens that a monument should be dedicated to something - a writer, a scientist, an event. Why not just do sculptures. After all, it's beautiful!". One of the works in the series - "The Circus Has Arrived" - the artist proposes to install near the old building of the St Petersburg Circus. Perhaps his virtuoso clowns will find their place under our northern sky, because each of his smallest compositions is monumental in its basis.
An important, one could say turning point, as Arsen believes, was 1998, when he visited New York for the first time. The city, as if bewitched him with large-scale building projects and incomparable pace of everything. Here also acquaintance with the owner of the gallery on the 5th Avenue Felix Komarov - a person extraordinary, whose advice will greatly help in the future to pass a stage in creativity and go to another facet. Soon new series "Libido" and "Venice" appear.
The Libido series is a story of subconscious aspirations, spicy hidden fantasies. The compositions are two-figure, sometimes becoming three or four-part, sometimes enriched with expressive accessories - cast images of musical instruments, clown hats, tambourines, fans and endless masks. It seems that the sculptor is playing his favourite eternal, uncomplicated, though pretentious game. In the bronze is frozen a moment, not long perishable beauty of vice - these are "Recess", "Masquerade", "Joking Love", "Joking Pleasures", "Torra", "Torre", "Libido" and other compositions. All these love follies are highly eccentric, charmingly intriguingly vicious, and fascinatingly appealing in their unexpected beauty of plasticity.
And finally, the Venice series. It includes the romanticised "Confession of a Gondolier" and "Joking Dances", whose elements seem to be woven from merriment, luxury and idleness. The latter feeling manifests itself not from embellishment, but is born from the variety of plastic bends, turns, poses. In his "Teasing", full of humour, inaccessible women-goddesses for a moment turn into courtesan sinners. And in all the works of the series there is a character - spy - the place of action - shining in the night with golden lustre Venetian gondola, transformed by the master into a smiling clown mask. And all this marvellous Venetian world is possible only in a fairy-tale beautiful night. And then in an exquisite and voluptuous vertical intertwine, it seems, at the last moment of parting, two figures - male and female - in the composition "Night of Venice". It seems that the dark figure, studded with stars, despite the doomed attempt to hold on to it, is about to dissolve into the coming pale dawn. And "Venice" floating before the viewer - with its luxury and sensuality of the night, with the frank theatricality of love and passion, with the interweaving of light and shadow, with the magic of evening twilight, in which Arsen's bronze riddles light up, will also dissolve in the flow of time.
Arsen's works are always sad, or openly humorous, or exquisitely refined, or actively extravagant and erotic - they always become an aspiration to creative freedom and beauty, a manifestation of the innate elegance of thought and feeling. The master's compositions are addressed to the intellectual viewer capable of feeling allegories, subtext, grotesque, to the viewer capable of perceiving the luxury of serious games.
M. Dashkova, art historian
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