“Roulette in reinforced concrete”: popular anger fell on a new sculpture in Muzeon Park

“Balance” by Daria Russkikh caused a wave of criticism

The Internet is tearing apart the 8-meter-tall sculpture “Balance” by Daria Russkikh, which appeared in Muzeon Park. According to the author, stone work personifies “the harmony of nature and man.” The sculpture is a block supported by a metal support resembling a ribbon and crowned with a white ball. Some saw beauty and dynamics in abstract work, but most call it “trash” and “ugliness.”

Here are the mildest reviews. “This question “how do you like it?” you should have asked before putting it in a public place. It’s obvious that this sculptor is the promotion of some powerful people of this world, they put who knows what in the center of the city.” “This is such a new way to steal money from the budget.” “It’s as if they hastily repeated an idea from a hundred years ago. Trash”. “Roulette in reinforced concrete.” “Like the Glina monument on Bolotnaya. Although “Clay” speaks for itself.”

The secular format of the presentation, with a red carpet and a ceremonial cutting of a chain (instead of a ribbon), aggravated the popular outrage. The track record of 25-year-old Daria Russkikh, who during her short career managed to participate in international art fairs in Switzerland, Dubai and Moscow, also added fuel to the fire, while not a single reputable gallery or museum exhibited her work. She came up with “Balance” while on an art residency in Dagestan, participation in which also cost money. All publications about the advanced sculptor so far are in a candy-praise style, which suggests that they are custom-made.

In addition, the scandal of 2011, when an illegally installed alley of “stars” was removed from the park, is still widely known: each bust of an entrepreneur, which was later dismantled in disgrace, cost 2 million rubles. After that story, Muzeon will never reach a decent level, although it would seem that this is the largest open-air sculpture park in Moscow, it has been landscaped and the Soviet sculptures have been rearranged.

And still, the park retains its former glory as a museum cemetery. Let us remember that in the early 1990s, all the dismantled monuments to Soviet communist leaders and other objectionable works, both by socialist realists and avant-garde artists, were taken there. It’s not such an honor to exhibit in a sculpture cemetery.

In general, the sculpture of Daria Russkikh is not the most wonderful creation in Muzeon Park. Nothing outstanding, but nothing terrible either: a rather secondary idea and form for abstract work. However, maybe a scandal in the style of Urs Fischer’s “Big Clay”, installed nearby two years ago, will serve as an impetus for updating not only the appearance of Muzeon, but also its content?