Roerich was “killed” in the Tretyakov Gallery – MK

Exhibition-monograph of the artist-prophet is disappointing

There is an exhibition at the New Tretyakov Gallery, the name of which speaks for itself – “Nicholas Roerich”. Even though the ticket prices are steep, there are queues. People come in droves to the name. The project is being presented as a blockbuster, the largest monographic exhibition of the master, dedicated to his 150th anniversary. In fact, it’s a total disappointment. Such a failure has not happened at the Tretyakov Gallery for a long time. A crowded and illiterate exhibition, poorly constructed light, and strange hanging “kills” such a stunning figure as Roerich, leaving visitors bewildered.

Nicholas Roerich is a special phenomenon in Russian culture. It has an incredible history and mythology, and a complex fate. He is not only an artist, but also an archaeologist, researcher, writer, traveler, pioneer, seeker of the mysterious Shambhala. What is important is the creator of the pact that formed the basis of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property. Roerich foresaw that the world would face many upheavals, and towards the end of his life he made every effort to create and promote at the international level a certificate of protection for cultural heritage. But all these facets of talent are lumped together, and therefore little can be understood.

The exhibition opens with quotes taken out of context and hung in posters from the ceiling. It is difficult to focus on any one statement; together they do not form a single philosophy. The viewer finds himself at an exhibition where everything is again in a heap. There is an iconostasis created for the family church of the Kamensky merchants in the Assumption Convent in Perm, and paintings from expeditions to the Russian North, and to the East, to Asia, and prophetic mystical paintings. One of the most effective works – “Armageddon” (1936), where one reads the premonition of the Second World War – is squeezed in the corner. It would be worth emphasizing the meditative nature of the artist-soothsayer’s works with subdued light, highlighting the works in a targeted manner. Instead, most are so overexposed that it is impossible to find a spot to see them without glare. And due to the cumbersome exhibition structure, which interferes with the flow of spectators, it is difficult to approach the paintings of interest in order to see them in their entirety, without other people’s heads and shoulders.

Nicholas Roerich took a lot from his teacher Kuindzhi, the main thing is the technique when the light seems to come from the painting, as if it were its source. Kuindzhi exhibited his “Moonlit Night” in almost complete darkness, shining light onto the painting, and this created a sensation in the 19th century. In 2018, in approximately the same way, in twilight, it was shown in the old Tretyakov Gallery. It looked impressive. For some reason, Kuindzhi’s lessons for the Roerich exhibition were forgotten.

Nicholas Roerich wrote more than Aivazovsky – about 7,000 works. Many are sketches, made at speed on expeditions, ideas for the future. Due to the fact that such things prevail, and spectacular and important things are either absent altogether, or shoved into corners, or hung from the ceiling, some even think that Roerich is not an interesting artist at all, but simply a good draftsman. This is wrong.

Roerich is a phenomenon. His stories contain an amazing synthesis of Slavic and Eastern mythology and artistic techniques. A certain conscious naivety of the writing brings one closer to the Russian avant-garde. Color plays the main role. But it’s hard to feel all this when you’re standing in a crowd of spectators who have little idea where to go, collide and step on each other’s heels. Where it would be worth setting up a bench for thoughtful viewing, there is nowhere to sit. There is not enough air and logic.

Even the giant backdrop curtain created by Roerich for the production of “Polovtsian Dances” at the Russian Seasons in 1909 for the Chatelet Theater does not save the situation. This picturesque colossus was miraculously saved – the six-meter-high decoration was badly worn out and torn in many places. The restorers did a great job restoring it. It was conceived as a kind of act of unity between dancers and painting and enjoyed enormous popularity, having lasted about 500 performances over 10 years of operation. This act of unity did not work here. The entire set is not visible from either the first or second floor; it is in semi-darkness and not illuminated at all. Moreover, the label is not illuminated, so to read the history of the legendary backdrop, you need to highlight the text with your phone.

Each work of Nicholas Roerich is worth immersing yourself in, and when there is such an opportunity, painting takes you into a special mysterious world. In the Tretyakov Gallery, it’s not just that meditation is impossible, the feeling is like rush hour in the subway.