AES+F Group
In 1987, Tatiana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovich, and Evgeny Svyatsky formed an art group, naming it AES from the combination of their initials.
Since 1995, the group has collaborated on numerous projects with photographer Vladimir Fridkes ('AES+F').
Tatiana Arzamasova
Born 1955, Moscow
Graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute in 1978
Worked in conceptual architecture.
Grand Prize winner in the joint OISTT and UNESCO competition 'Theater of the Future.'
Participated in conceptual architecture exhibitions in London, Paris, and Venice.
Lev Evzovich
Born 1958, Moscow
Graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute in 1982
Worked in conceptual architecture.
Winner of 'The Tour Theatre' nomination at the OISTT competition in Stockholm.
Participated in conceptual architecture exhibitions in Milan, Frankfurt, and Paris.
Worked as an art editor in animation (6 films) and as a director in animated films; also worked as an art director for the film 'Sanset' (Mosfilm Studio).
Evgeny Svyatsky
Born 1957, Moscow
Graduated from the Moscow Polygraphic Institute in 1980
Worked in book and advertising design, poster and graphic art.
Participated in international poster competitions and exhibitions of book illustration and graphic arts.
Worked as creative director in several Moscow publishing houses ('Open World' and 'Intersignal').
Vladimir Fridkes
Born 1956, Moscow
Lives and works as a fashion photographer in Moscow
Publications in magazines: VOGUE, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Sunday Times Style, among others.
Since 1995 has collaborated with AES.
Participation in exhibitions:
'Fashion and Style in Photography', 2001, Manezh, Moscow.
'Art Moscow 2001', Central House of Artists, Moscow.
'Photobiennial-2002', Manezh, Moscow.
'Fashion and Style in Photography', 1999, Manezh, Moscow.
'Photobiennial-98', Manezh, Moscow.
'Fashion and Style in Photography', 1997, Manezh, Moscow.
'Photobiennial-96', Manezh, Moscow.
'Kiev Art Meeting' Ukrainian House,1995,
Gallery 'Alipy', Kiev, Ukraine.
Also participated in exhibitions together with AES group.
Official website: http://www.aes-group.org
Works in collections
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Moscow House of Photography, Moscow, Russia
M&Y Gelman Contemporary Art Fund, Moscow, Russia
Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Exhibitions and auctions
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2008
'Aurum', Centre PasquArt, Biel, Sept 13–Nov 30 2008
5th Seoul International Media Art Biennale, Sept 12–Nov 5, 2008
'Mockba!', Volker Diehl Gallery, Berlin, Sept 6–Oct 18, 2008
Kandinsky Prize, Palazzo Italia, Berlin
'Last Riot', Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast
'Last Riot', Max Gandolph Bibliothek, Salzburg
'Neo - Future', Les Abattoirs Museum of Contemporary Art, Toulouse
'Last Riot', RS&A Ltd Gallery, London
'AES+F', Arario Gallery, Beijing
'Last Riot', Kulturhuset, Stockholm
'Kick the Carbon Habit', Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, Wellington
'Depletion', Tel Aviv Art Museum, Tel Aviv
'Last Riot', City Gallery, Wellington
'Last Riot', Netherlands Media Art Institute Montevideo/Time Based Arts, Amsterdam
'AES. AES+F', MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome
Kandinsky Prize Exhibition, Riga
'Last Riot', Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Festival Corporation
'AES. AES+F', Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston
'AES. AES+F', Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
2007
'Last Riot', Modern Tate Britain, London
'AES, AES+F', Passage de Retz, Paris
'Last Riot', Istanbul Biennial of Contemporary Art
'Action Half Life', 4th Gothenburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art
'Last Riot', 52nd Venice Biennale, Russian Pavilion 'Click I Hope'
'Last Riot', 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art
'Bitmap 2007', LOOP Gallery, Seoul
2006
AES+F. LAST RIOT 2, Salvador Diaz Gallery, Madrid
AES+F, Galerie Charlotte Moser, Geneva
AES+F. LAST RIOT 2, Moscow Photobiennale 2006, MDF, Moscow
AES+F. KING OF THE FOREST, IMA – Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
2005
AES+F, Magnan Projects, New York
The King of The Forest, Juan Ruiz Galeria, Maracaibo, Venezuela
2003
'Action Half Life. Episode 2', M. Gelman Gallery, Moscow
'Action Half Life. Episodes 2&3', Paris Photo, Galerie Carre Noir (Paris), France
'King of the Forest: New York (KFNY)', COFA / Claire Oliver Fine Art, New York, USA
2001
'Islamic Project', Galerie Sollertis, Toulouse, France
2000
'AES Travel Agency to the Future – Islamic Project', SIETAR Europe Congress 2000, Brussels
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2007
'Artist's Diary.' Special project of the M. Gelman Foundation for the 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. CDH, Moscow
'Thaw.' 15 years of M. Gelman Gallery.
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
2006
'ARS 06', 'Sense of the Real', Kiasma Nykytaiteen musee (KIASMA), Helsinki, Finland
2005
'Un Nuevo Y Bravo Mundo / Brave New World', Sala Alcala 31, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain
4th Tirana International Contemporary Art Biennial, Tirana, Albania
2004
Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia
'Art Miami 2004', 'Islamic Project. Oasis', COFA/Claire Oliver Fine Art (NYC), Miami Beach, USA
2003
'VEIL'. Institute of International Visual Arts, The Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK
2002
'Group Show', COFA/Claire Oliver Fine Art, New York, USA
4th Gwangju Biennale, Project 1, South Korea
2000
5th Biennale de Lyon, Halle Toni Garnier, Lyon, France
'Ein Gesprach – Razgowor – Razmowa', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
1999
'Propaganda Art', Lombard-Freid Fine Arts, New York, USA
'Un matin du monde', Eric Dupont Gallery, Paris, France
1998
'3 Penny Show', Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of Art, New Brunswick (NJ), USA
'European Art Forum', Art Media Center 'TV Gallery' (Moscow), Berlin, Germany
Author about himself
"We find the modern understanding of heroism interesting—an era when feats, war, and pathos are transformed into endlessly reproduced virtual shows. The idea of the show is all-encompassing—from slick 3D animation of computer games, Hollywood's massive efforts to save Private Ryan and showcase Maximus’ victories, to carefully curated TV reports from remote, exotic places.
Our heroes are teenagers, the most heroic age when a young shepherd defeats a giant, or a foundling easily draws the magical sword from the stone and becomes a king, able to defeat all enemies. All our young heroes are winners in a virtual world. Their enemy is absent, pain and suffering are forbidden by the game’s terms. They are so alienated from each other that nothing, not even a shared virtual arena, interferes with the idea of a pure individual feat—victory over a non-existent enemy. The manifestation of the 'heroism gene' today in the world of flickering reality is the theme of our work."
AES+F about the exhibition 'Action Half Life. Episode 2' 2003/2004
Critic
AES created their famous 'Islamic Project' long before radical Islam made itself felt, changing New York's famous skyline. After September 11, when the phobias they mocked became reality, the AES group were called 'prophets.' The perception of the 'Islamic Project' changed dramatically in the West—it no longer violates the norms of political correctness, which Evzovich called a form of censorship. The artists exist organically not in the Russian, but in the global art context, freely operating with the values of Western society. Their works are within the field of culture. Their themes include the clash of civilizations, mass culture phobias, transgression, war and death, childhood, cultural differences, and the future. The AES+F group participates in all the largest international exhibitions and media festivals, methodically shocking the art public of Europe and America.
Alexander Evangeli
Bibliography
“AES. AES+F.” (Palace Editions, St. Petersburg, 2007)
Zeldovich Alexander. 'Half-Dead, Half-Alive.' (Nazraeli Press, Portland, 2007)
Koppenvaller Anna-Maria. 'The Contemporary State of Sculpture: Statues of Lost Childhood.' (Agey Tomesh, Moscow, 2006)
INTERNATIONAL DESIGN MAGAZINE, May-June 1989, 'Notes from the Underground' by Konstantin Boym, p. 34
PRINT MAGAZINE, XLV-II, March-April 1990, 'Reviding in USSR' by Konstantin Boym, pp. 76-85
FLASH ART MAGAZINE, INTERNATIONAL EDITION, Vol. XXIV, N 158, May-June 1991, 'Old Fashioned Passion' by Victor Miziano, pp. 110-113
ART NEWS MAGAZINE, January 1992, 'After the Coup. Art for Art's Sake' by Konstantin Akinsha, pp. 55-59
KATALOG of the exhibition in Tampere Art Museum, 1990, pp. 11-17, 22-23
KATALOG of exhibition in National Museum, Stockholm, 1991, Article by Jury Molok, pp. 3-10
AES. Katalog 'Das irdische Paradies', IFA-Galerie Friedrichstrasse, 'Das irdische Paradies. Projektionen Postmoderner Malerei im Zeitalter der Deconstruction by Barbara Straka
NEW RUSSIAN DESIGN, Rizzoli – New York, 1992, by Konstantin Boym, pp.152-157
CIRCA Art Magazine, Belfast, Ireland, N 63, Spring 1993, pp. 24-29
ARTISTIC JOURNAL N 1, 1993, p. 42, Galina Kurierova
ARTISTIC JOURNAL N 6, 1995, pp. 26-27, Vitaly Patsyukov
“BODY SPACE”, Catalogue, Moscow
A NINETEENTH CENTURY RUSSIAN LANDSCAPE, Catalogue, Basel, Switzerland
IZVESTIA, July 9, 1995, Dmitry Silin, p.41, Moscow
SEGODNYA, January 20, 1996, p.10, Sergey Epikhin, Andrey Kovalev
MEGAPOLIS-EXPRESS, Moscow N 20, May 29, 1996
ITOGI, June 4, 1996, p. 75, Nikita Alekseev
ITOGI, November 26, 1996, p. 70, Iosif Bakshtein
ART, 7/1996, p. 114, G. Inglerait
ART, 12/1996, p. 8, AES
MATADOR, 8/1996, p.6, p.32
ARTISTIC JOURNAL N 12, 1996, pp. 48-51, Alexander Balashov, p. 85, Oleg Kireev
EUROPEAN ART FORUM, Catalogue, Berlin, 1996, M. Gelman Gallery
DOMESTIC COMPUTER, N 5, 1996, pp. 32-33, A. Petrochenkov
WOCHENPOST, N 45, October 31, 1996, p. 4
Books:
'Double Rainbow' 'Young Guards', Moscow, 1989
'Woe from Wit', A. Griboedov, 2 vols., Moscow, 1995
Works 17
