On 12 February 2018, My Soviet Union exhibition of Valentin Boganzhu (UK/Rumania) will be officially opened in Magnezit Museum.

Valentin Boganzhu (UK/Rumania), a modern British artist and a Fine Art teacher at the British Higher School of Design (Moscow), for the first time exhibits his works in Russia beyond the capital. 

The exhibition includes paintings and graphics as well as collages inspired by the image of the USSR in the official media of Rumania, where the artist lived as a child and a youngster. The memories of those days in quite a poor country of the Soviet bloc, where the modernistic project of an ‘elder brother’, building of the welfare society seemed to be a real miracle and the absolute guide. While looking through the Rumanian version of the Soviet Union magazine (published at 16 languages), the future artist admired the enormous work of graphic artists, photographers and designers required to visually implement the image of the Soviet Union in the pages of the magazine.

When three years ago Van was invited to Moscow, Russia and the soviet heritage inspired him to the new round of creative activity resulted in the project which can be currently seen in Magnezit Museum.

The works of Boganzhu combine the love for the soviet art of 1960th, interest in non-representative art and deep knowledge of the Russian avant-garde motives.

“In my works I remove the ideology from the richest Soviet visual world paying tribute to the affluence of its forms and motives, to the splendour of the efforts fostered,” says the artist.

The opening ceremony will include the evening with the artist: the lecture of the artist about the abstraction and his own creative method, the discussion and the collage work-shop.

The participants of the workshop should bring old illustrated magazines which they are ready to use to make their own works of art.

The exhibition is supported by SOBRANIE Fund and is held in the framework of Satka: Crossroads program of jubilee events devoted to the 260th anniversary of the town.

Magnezit Museum, Satka

Monday, 12 February 2018  

15.00 – opening of the exhibition in Magnezit Museum.

15.30 – 16.15 – lecture of Mr. Valentin Boganzhu ‘What is Abstraction?’, presentation of his creative method.

16.15 – 16.30 – discussion; Valentin Boganzhu will answer the questions of the audience.

16.30 – 18.00 – collage workshop. School children starting from 11 years old are invited.