Moscow White Cube, an entry hall
Introduction
The greatest mystery of life is the knowledge of death. Of what happens to consciousness at the time of physical death. It is only about scientific knowledge, as far as "revelations", "dreams" and other unprovable sources. Such knowledge can’t be assessed or transmitted. Especially in the global information era, when people not too burdened with any morality, don’t inform, but misinform other people, getting profit of it. That is, in the information flow, many people just drown and they are not able to tell the truth from lies.
Closed societies of antiquity, such as the Pythagorean union, for example, set the goal for such knowledge transfer, but, unfortunately, because of the leakage of "knowledge" (thanks to Gippas), it fell into the "hands" and "brain" of profanes. " Every one being allowed to learn to read, ruineth in the long run not only writing but also thinking ." Scientific knowledge (and the knowledge of terrestrial civilization can be either scientific or non-scientific, that is, not being knowledge at all) must necessarily serve Truth firstly and then work for the benefit of mankind. What is Truth and why do I write this word with a capital letter? Truth is the (scientific!) Knowledge
1. Of who a man is, where from he came on the Earth,
2. Of how language appeared on the Earth, which language was the very first language on the planet,
3. Of what happens to consciousness at the time of death.
Science one knows nothing neither about the first, the second, nor the third aspect of this Truth. Nothing at all!
Actually, my Matism Manifesto is just about it. About the Truth, without which the scientific and technological progress does not make any sense and turns human civilization into a randomly evolving aggressive herd of half-blind animals, who do not need either the "gift of freedom" or the gift of truth and knowledge.
About the Skull series of Lena Hades
It began in Cologne in 1995.
The series consists of 140 skulls and it started from the Cologne Cemetery, at one random grave of a German Mason called Otto and his family members. I was amazed by the dates of life and death of these people and the text on the tombstone. Surprising was also the drawing in the form of a triangle and a flying falcon inside, carved on the granite monument next to the mournful words.
I do not know if the other skulls appeared after the “Masonic skull” of this Series are related to any specific people or are not, but that Masonic grave was an impulse for subsequent skull work. I remember that I entered a kind of border space between life and death, there was a certain "skull mood" and skulls appeared on paper reluctantly. I just did not resist the impulse and painted them for almost more than a year!
These skulls were practically not exhibited - the galleries that showed them, were afraid to expose them. For example, the director of the Moscow art gallery Triumph Dmitry Khankin told me that the work was strong, but he did not yet know what that strength was. They seemed frightening.
Party of the Dead
In 2007 I came up with the idea of creating the Party of the Dead. It will be the first Party of the Dead in the world. In my free time, I am ready to be its leader and protect the rights of the dead, which are constantly being violated. For example, acts of terrorism or road accidents - who and to whom gave the right to take and publish photos of the deceased and disfigured bodies? I believe that such actions violate the rights of the deceased. The dead also have rights and they must be defended with the help of still living people. Currently I am writing the Charter, Tasks and Manifesto of the Party of the Dead.
So, the Tasks of the Party:
1. The main task of the Party is legal and media protection of the rights of the deceased. The media, as well as social networks, publish photographs of accidents, catastrophes, murders and other events that have resulted in lethal outcomes without permission. Often, the discussion of the tragic event in social networks and forums ends with frank mockery of the deceased and the dead, i.e. their rights are grossly violated. So it is necessary to give a legal assessment of what is happening and pass appropriate laws.
2. Adoption of a new law on the prohibition of mockery of the dead and deceased in the media space.
3. The introduction into the public consciousness the main slogan of the Party of the Dead "No one has the right to decide when the other should die".
4. Defending the right of the deceased to choose burial method and presence in the information space after death.
5. Legal regulation of the so-called "people's memorials" and sects arising on behalf of already non-living well-known public and political figures. ...
The first Party of the Dead skull exhibition opens in the Moscow White Cube Gallery on the day of the total solar eclipse - August 21, 2017.
Why on this day?
Because the coming total solar eclipse will be an eclipse of the same 145 saros, which my father observed on July 9, 1945 in the village of Zagatino, Kostroma region. The shadow band of the eclipse passed across Russia, and my father, who was 12 years old, saw how dark the night became, and all the birds fell silent. My father told me about that eclipse. And now exactly the same eclipse repeats exactly 72 years later, but this time it will be visible on the territory of the USA. For me it is an opportunity to turn time back and return to my father's childhood and experience the same feelings.
Artist’s father Aleksey Nikolayevich on the Big Stone bridge in Moscow, 1957.
At the exhibition, apart from the 1995 skull works, there is a kinetic object that will "revive" the skulls and got a new Moscow gallery off the ground.