Trekhprudny Lane: Moskva 1991-1993

This book, which was conceived a number of years ago, is about a short period in the history of Moscow art, right before the real-estate market obliged several artists' groups to leave their studios.

It was after a guest-teaching period at the National Academy of Fine Art in Oslo tht Larissa Zvezdotchotova brought us to Trekhprudny Lane in 1993. That is where ten young artists had for two years been living and working in an apartment block, where they had carried through an unbroken series of events and installations every Thursday at 19.00. Gradually this had developed into a central point in Moscow's art life - a literal and witty answer to the prevailing art life situation and a number of ideas and masterpieces of western art. Or as Ter-Oganian, the protagonist of the group, puts it: "Great art in one place, soup in Russia."

The Moscow based critic Ekaterina Dyogot has on our request written an introductory essay about the events at Trekhprudny. In addition she has written captions to 36 selected actions to clarify contexts that could pass by a western public.

This book is a fragment, nevertheless it presents the question: Can we afford to do without all the unexpected viewpoints and standpoints coming from the Russians in the discussion about the art of today?

- Carina Heden, Ingrid Book