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peter noever   петер нэвер
next. art versus mediocrity
искусство против медиократии

March 26th, 2013

All-Russian decorative applied and folk art museum is situated in a densely saturated historical and architectural environment of the old centre of Moscow, Osterman-Tolstoj's homestead – palace with two hundred year history, which survived the fire of 1812 and the revolution of 1917, was reconstructed several times, nowadays is known as the “Museum on Delegatskaya street” or the House of earl Osterman.
The House on Delegataskaya street used to be headquaters of the Government of the Russian Federation before it has has moved to the Russian white house.

Franz West 12 Diwans consisting of 24 Diwans: an artwork – 24 diwans – of an exceptional artist changed radically the aura of a museum agreement between life and art, art overthrows certainties against the endless know–all attitude !

A dedication to new art comes from curiosity about what is going on in contemporary art. But my specific interest is always the site of art as a manifestation of the here and the now. I’m fascinated with art that can create a context and influence social consciousness. The most interesting thing for me when working with an artist is the creation of a space that did not exist before. When an artist can generate his or her artwork for a specific site and control the overall circumstances, it becomes the site of an artist. This is something more than an exhibition, a reception or media coverage. It is the opposite of a splendorous yet meaningless museum. An irremovable site created by the artist is the real manifestation of art. When this happens successfully, it completely transcends what can typically be done in an institutional setting. The site of an artist is an excursion to the unpredictable. There is a lot to learn as a curator and it is also new for the artist. It doesn’t work every time and it is always an experiment. But I think art without experimentation would not work, and an art institution without experiments is not an art institution anymore.

If you run an institution, you have to run it outside. You have to go from inside to outside. If you are in a community like Vienna, you must also pursue and advance your own interests. Of course these interests are personal, not democratic. But nowadays you can not show anything anymore. Instead as a first step you are expected to bring people together for discussions about what to do, and these conversations lead nowhere. So I think it is critically important for individuals to retain the right to promote their interests, bring new things forward and create the discussion.