S014-015-M, 2019

Valentin Korzhov  

Valentin Korzhov is a Russian artist born in 1975 who lives & works in Moscow, Russia.

Valentin Korzhov is known for his multi-media works combining sculpture, photo and video in one piece which gives way to another new, self-sufficient media. In his projects, the author employs visual metaphors of the canons of European philosophy moving from Plato towards Heidegger as well as Renaissance aesthetic. For instance, a series of characters – shellers – was created for Darwin Vs Darwin project. Highly realistic human limbs made of silicone, acrylic and natural hair sticking out from the sea shells result from aesthetic research of two (epistemic) ideas on human progress: Plato with his argumentation on the soul, and Darwinist (positivistic) with his argumentation on the body. In Trinity, the author works with Heidegger's idea of nothingness as the only condition where the form could reveal itself. This was the grounds for creation of white sculptures series and filming them in the endless Russian snow fields and Spanish urban atmosphere. Professional actors of Gogol-Center theatre and performance artist Valentin Zin create plastic art images in the dialogue with sculpture and unusual environment. The latter is the object of Korzhov's particular search and selection. Spanish part of Trinity was filmed in National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona and the Roman quarry of El Mèdol, while White Trinity was staged in the wild nature of snow fields in Moscow suburb.

Valentin is the member of Moscow Artists Union, sculpture section. His personal exhibitions took place in such public spaces like State Darwin Museum (Moscow), 11.12 Gallery at Center for Contemporary Art Winzavod (Moscow), Gogol-Center (Moscow), Arts Academy (Voronezh) and Central House of Artist (Moscow). In 2018, Being and Time has been showcased in the main project of VIII Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art. His exhibition Archeology of Memory was showcased as a collateral event of the 5th International Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. He participates in a number of important large-scale group exhibitions like Actual Russia and Tetraktis. Valentin was included in top-100 Renowned Russian Artists (InArt 2008).