Moscow: Ida Ruchina's exhibition "A Place of Power"
Alexander Senkevich: "I must now write a poem about Chukotka!"
Nadya Brykina Gallery (Myasnitskaya 24/7, 2) presents "A Place of Power" by Ida Ruchina, photographer. It's on until 19 October. The photographs capture dramatic landscapes - from Chukotka to Colorado. However, the locations aren't marked by design.
Many prominent people joined to celebrate the occasion and congratulate Ida, including Alexander Senkevich, poet and writer; painters Michael Krunov and Grigory Shliz; Andrey Kataev, tourism strategist; and Nadya Brykina, the gallery owner.
- The focal point of this exhibition isn't geography but the images, impressions, and feelings, - Ida said. - Along with Chukotka where my creative journey started quite a few fantastic places are featured here, and what matters is their powerful beauty - not the location.
The exhibition gives you the feeling of flying above the world, and it seems that the true place of power isn't an actual place but the author's soul, and through its prism the visitors see faces, landscapes, and events. Moreover, depending on the angle the pictures seem to come alive - saturating or fading.
Alexander Senkevich, a renowned poet, writer and translator, said that he simply couldn't miss Ida's exhibition whose photography he admires.
- Ida's works are actually very private, very intimate. Very sincere. At the same time this is the work of a true artist. This is Ida's perception, her world-view that she so generously shares with us through her photographs. And I agree with you - her soul is the true place of power. Thanks to Ida I feel inspired to write a poem about Chukotka, and now I'm certain that I'm going to do it.
Nadya Brykina, the owner of the gallery, lives in Zurich and is a rare guest in Moscow, but she came to the opening of Ida's exhibition and shared the details of the preparation.
- Preparing this exhibition wasn't an easy job as we had to choose a very limited number from a wide variety of wonderful photographs. We wanted to show everything but it's impossible, so the selection process was rigorous. We wanted every photograph to get the attention it deserves. And I think we've achieved that. You know, I've never considered gallery ownership as a business, as my income source is elsewhere. It's much more important to showcase works of talented Russian photographers who aren't widely promoted. And Europeans love them - they discover a totally new image of Russia that they don't really know. My first gallery opened in Zurich, then I had the opportunity to open a Moscow branch. But we'll definitely show Ida's works in Zurich too - I'm sure this exhibition will be very popular. I love travelling myself, so when I met Ida and saw her wonderful photographs, I felt that I want to visit Chukotka. Ida's works touched me deeply as they radiate sincerity, kindness, inner light and the kind of frankness that one only sees in children - while most professionals lose it unfortunately. Ida managed to preserve it - perhaps because she owes her success only to her own talent and intuition.
A famous painter Michael Krunov who's been helping Ida with her exhibitions said that the result exceeded his expectations this time.
- I really like the exhibition and the gallery - Ida's works look amazing here. Every bit of the exhibition was selected with a lot of care and consideration. And I think that visitors can appreciate it.
- How does it compare to Ida's famous exhibitions of the Chukotka photographs that caused so much buzz in Monaco and Nice a few years ago?
- Well, this gallery is much more comfortable compared to the historical hotel Negresco where the second Cote d'Azure exhibition took place as in Negresco you have to fit the photographs of Chukotka into a line of historical portraits - this is insanely difficult. Although we managed to achieve it by some miracle, an independent exhibition looks far more natural.
A renowned photographer Yuri Feklistov who prepared the photo report of Roman Abramovich's team visit to Chukotka was thoroughly impressed as well.
- Yuri, could you please share your professional opinion of the exhibition?
- Ida has managed to create a fantastic image of Chukotka. Since she turned to photography a couple of years ago she has grown incredibly as an artist. Although even the very first works, especially portraits, are very good. She has a knack for portraits which is quite rare among photographers. But with Ida people show their true faces - even the reserved and difficult people of Chukotka. I think this is Ida's special talent that one can't help but recognise.
Andrey Kataev couldn't miss the exhibition either; he's one of the most well-known strategists of the regional touristic development and the author of the project of the highest altitude hotel in Europe which is on the slope of Elbrus, and is now heading tourism management in Novgorod. Andrey used to work with Ida on the branding of Chukotka, and his emotions were showing that each photograph evokes his nostalgia for this challenging but interesting time.
- I admire Ida's works, - Andrey says. - I admire the way she deeply feels Chukotka - and nature regardless of the location. Sunsets, sunrises, fogs… Look at this one - the tree seems to be grasping the ground with it's roots, such a fantastic picture… I'm happy that Ida is growing as a photographer, I think she has a bright future ahead as such works don't leave anyone untouched.
Many prominent people joined to celebrate the occasion and congratulate Ida, including Alexander Senkevich, poet and writer; painters Michael Krunov and Grigory Shliz; Andrey Kataev, tourism strategist; and Nadya Brykina, the gallery owner.
- The focal point of this exhibition isn't geography but the images, impressions, and feelings, - Ida said. - Along with Chukotka where my creative journey started quite a few fantastic places are featured here, and what matters is their powerful beauty - not the location.
The exhibition gives you the feeling of flying above the world, and it seems that the true place of power isn't an actual place but the author's soul, and through its prism the visitors see faces, landscapes, and events. Moreover, depending on the angle the pictures seem to come alive - saturating or fading.
Alexander Senkevich, a renowned poet, writer and translator, said that he simply couldn't miss Ida's exhibition whose photography he admires.
- Ida's works are actually very private, very intimate. Very sincere. At the same time this is the work of a true artist. This is Ida's perception, her world-view that she so generously shares with us through her photographs. And I agree with you - her soul is the true place of power. Thanks to Ida I feel inspired to write a poem about Chukotka, and now I'm certain that I'm going to do it.
Nadya Brykina, the owner of the gallery, lives in Zurich and is a rare guest in Moscow, but she came to the opening of Ida's exhibition and shared the details of the preparation.
- Preparing this exhibition wasn't an easy job as we had to choose a very limited number from a wide variety of wonderful photographs. We wanted to show everything but it's impossible, so the selection process was rigorous. We wanted every photograph to get the attention it deserves. And I think we've achieved that. You know, I've never considered gallery ownership as a business, as my income source is elsewhere. It's much more important to showcase works of talented Russian photographers who aren't widely promoted. And Europeans love them - they discover a totally new image of Russia that they don't really know. My first gallery opened in Zurich, then I had the opportunity to open a Moscow branch. But we'll definitely show Ida's works in Zurich too - I'm sure this exhibition will be very popular. I love travelling myself, so when I met Ida and saw her wonderful photographs, I felt that I want to visit Chukotka. Ida's works touched me deeply as they radiate sincerity, kindness, inner light and the kind of frankness that one only sees in children - while most professionals lose it unfortunately. Ida managed to preserve it - perhaps because she owes her success only to her own talent and intuition.
A famous painter Michael Krunov who's been helping Ida with her exhibitions said that the result exceeded his expectations this time.
- I really like the exhibition and the gallery - Ida's works look amazing here. Every bit of the exhibition was selected with a lot of care and consideration. And I think that visitors can appreciate it.
- How does it compare to Ida's famous exhibitions of the Chukotka photographs that caused so much buzz in Monaco and Nice a few years ago?
- Well, this gallery is much more comfortable compared to the historical hotel Negresco where the second Cote d'Azure exhibition took place as in Negresco you have to fit the photographs of Chukotka into a line of historical portraits - this is insanely difficult. Although we managed to achieve it by some miracle, an independent exhibition looks far more natural.
A renowned photographer Yuri Feklistov who prepared the photo report of Roman Abramovich's team visit to Chukotka was thoroughly impressed as well.
- Yuri, could you please share your professional opinion of the exhibition?
- Ida has managed to create a fantastic image of Chukotka. Since she turned to photography a couple of years ago she has grown incredibly as an artist. Although even the very first works, especially portraits, are very good. She has a knack for portraits which is quite rare among photographers. But with Ida people show their true faces - even the reserved and difficult people of Chukotka. I think this is Ida's special talent that one can't help but recognise.
Andrey Kataev couldn't miss the exhibition either; he's one of the most well-known strategists of the regional touristic development and the author of the project of the highest altitude hotel in Europe which is on the slope of Elbrus, and is now heading tourism management in Novgorod. Andrey used to work with Ida on the branding of Chukotka, and his emotions were showing that each photograph evokes his nostalgia for this challenging but interesting time.
- I admire Ida's works, - Andrey says. - I admire the way she deeply feels Chukotka - and nature regardless of the location. Sunsets, sunrises, fogs… Look at this one - the tree seems to be grasping the ground with it's roots, such a fantastic picture… I'm happy that Ida is growing as a photographer, I think she has a bright future ahead as such works don't leave anyone untouched.
