Natalia Abalakova

1941 born in Gorky (Nizhne-Novgorod)
1961 graduated from V.I.Lenin College of Education, Moscow (philology dep-t)
since 1979 has participated in the project “Explorations into the Essence of Art as applied to Life and to Art” (called TOTART since 1983) - joint with A.Zhigalov
1981 took part in setting up Moscow Archive of New Art
since 1982 founding member of APTART movement (sharing in all its actions)
since 1984 member of the French Unoin of Young Artists
since 1985 member of Hungary’s Young Artists’ Club
since 1987 member of Avantgarde Club (CLAVA)
since 1993 member of Artists’ Union and Writers’ Union
since 1996 member of “Free Culture” Humanitarian Foundation

1972 Project of the falling bed.
1978-79 The begginning of the Project “Explorations into the Essence of Art as applyed to Life & Art”. Projects (“Winter projects” and others.)
1978—79 Begginning of the Project “Explorations into the Essence of Art as applyed to Life & Art”. (“Winter projects”etc.
1980 “Burial of the Flower”, “White Cube”, “Black Cube”. Authors’ home, Moscow
“The Solstice”. Outdoor action. Moscow
“Dedicated to Prague”. Unofficial festival of performances. Prague, Czechoslovakia
“Snow”. Outdoor performance. Моscow
1981 1st Festival of Performances. Pogorelovo, Kostroma Region. “Operation Home”; performances and live sculptures “The Ladder”, “The Last Action”, “The Death of Lalay”, “In Memory of Lalay”, “Birth” and others.
“Exploration of the Square” series (as above): Live sculptures “The School of Arts”, “Black square” and others.
“Appearence of pregnant Natalia”. Moscow
“Our Best Oeuvre” (the birth of Еva 12 Aug. 1981)
1982 “Our Anthill”. Piligino, Novgorod Region
“Commandant’s Series” (1982-1985), Моscow
“Subbotnic” and other actions
“Exploration of the Circle” series (“The centre”, “The blood circle”, “The pissed circle”, “Mutual responsibility” and others)
APTART exhibition
“Retrо -1”. APTART Gallery, Moscow
1983 “Kitchen of Russian Art”. Installation
“Work”. S.Sokhranskaya’s studio, Moscow
” Take care of Art”. Installation/performance. APTART event “APTART in Nature”. Kalistovo.
“Sunflower seed”. Performance. APTART event “Victories over the sun”. Moscow
“Window 1”. TOTART performance. “” APTART under the fence” event. Tarasovka, Moscow Region
“Window 2”. Courtyard of S.Sokhranskaya’s and I.Makarevich’s studio, Moscow
“Purification”. Actions. Moscow
1984 “Praesence, praesence”. S.Sokhranskaya’s studio, Moscow
“Disputeart I”. As above
“Invitation in May”. Authors’ home. Moscow
“The Rope”, “To the lovers of Art”. Projects for exhibition in Paris
“Avantgarde Sign”. Musical performance. Authors home. Moscow
“The rope”. Action. Tartu (The museum and streets)
“The King-Bell & the King-Gun”. Installation. Artist’s flat. Moscow
“The floor-polishing”. Performance. As above.
“Absence-presence”(Window 3). “Le Vivant et l’Artificiele”. Avignon, France
“In such a cold weather Art is impossible”. Orekhovo-Borisovo, Moscow
“Теrart” (attempt of forced art over Yu. Albert). Authors’ home, Moscow
1985 “Dispute 2”. S.Sokhranskaya’s studio, Moscow
“The golden ladder”. Sochransky’s studio. Moscow
1-st festival of Soviet underground cinema. As above
“16 Self-Identifications”. Authors’ home, Moscow
“Rubbish graphics”. Action. Central Artists’ House. Moscow
“The scene bandaged”. Art festival. Moscow
“Mail-Art”. TOTART action and 1st exhibition of Soviet mail-art. Venue as above
“Golden Sunday”. Моscow
“The partisans”. Artist’s flat. Moscow
“Russian roulette”. As above
1986 The Social Action. Attempts at foundation of Contemporary Art Center
“It’s the real thing”(“The Red Room”). Authors’ home, Moscow
“The wheel”. Film-performance. Moscow
“Even guards”. Artist’s flat. Moscow
“Art’s decline Myth”. MOGKH. Moscow
“I and You”. Installation. The Yuoth House. Leningrad. (The banned exhibition.)
“Pure Art”. Avanguard Club action “Art against commertion”. Bitza park. Moscow
1987 “Classic TOTART-object”. “Object I”. As above
“The Art Center Project Waken”. Avanguard Club event “The show in hell”. Moscow
“A cause to acquatance”. Installation. “Exhibition in Harbour”. Leningrad
1988 “Moscow-Paris-Moscow”. Video-performance by Abalakova-Zhigalov-Sekal. Paris, France
“The Project exhumed”. Action in Avanguard Club “Exhumation” action. Moscow
Project of installation for Edinburg gallery. (An earth pile with Tatlin Tower-like structure). Unrealized
1989 A project of “Syringe” fountain and russian bath for La Villet. Paris
“Work 2”. Performance festival. Poznan. Poland
“Naked pefformance”. Avanguard Club event. The Sandunovsky Baths male department. Moscow
1990 Project of installation for Marseille Biennlle
“My God, what does it all mean?”. Installation. “Sadovniky”gallery. Moscow
“Contemplating the Gold Axe”. Venue as above
Performances “Pebbles”, “Da Sein”, ”The guards”, “Footprints”. Workshop “Der Weg”. Bergen-Binz. Germany
“The Spectre of Freedom”. “Totalytna zona”. Art festival. Prague, Chechoslovakia
1991 “An Occasion for Acquaintance”. “3rd meeting of Vision and Image Theatre”.
Каtowice, Poland
1992 Project of installation for Marseille Bienalle
Untitled performance. Project “Gateway”. “Aspex”gallery. Portsmooth, England
1993 “Ave, Eva”. Installation. CCA. Moscow
“The Unknowable leaves its trace in unpredictable consequences”. Installation.L-gallery.Moscow
1994 “Skipping-Rope” (аction) Moskva swimming pool, Moscow
“The North Wind”. Festival of Performances. “Sadovniky”gallery. Moscow
“Canal+”. Videoart-Mailart. Paris, France
1995 “The Classics”. “The Artist and New Technologies” (seminar). Pereslav-Zalessky.
“The North wind”. Videoperformance. “Free culture” Humanity Foundation. “21”gallery. St. Petersburg.
“Nordwind”. Performance/videoinstallation. Kunstraum. Wuppertal. Germany.
1996 “Place of the Artist”. “Free culture” Humanity Foundation. “21”gallery. St. Petersburg.
“Garden of Smiles”. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow.
1997 “To have a little pation - and all”ll be O”K”. Videoinstallation. “Free culture” Humanity Foundation. ”21”gallery. St.-Petersburg
“Date unconcealed” and ”Footprints”. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow
“The Foucault Pendula”. Polyscreen videoinstallation. “KUKART III”art festival. Tzarskoie Selo
“The doors”. Venue as above
1997-98 “To have a little patience - and all’ll be O’K.” Videoinstallation. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow
1998 “The North Wind”. 2 videoinstallations. Art Media Centre “TV gallery”. Moscow
“In such a cold weather Art is impossible, but if to have a little patience...” Performance. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow

Personal shows
1974 - NII MPG (A. Zhigalov)
since 1978 - TOTART Projects and performances
1982 - “Retro 1: These lovely 1960-s - 70-s”. Aptart gallery. Moscow.
1989 - “Natalia Abalakova and Anatoly Zhigalov. Works of 1961-89 гг”. Third Eye Gallery, Glasgow.
1990 - NPO “Region” (A. Zhigalov)
“ТОТАRТ. N. Abalokova and A. Zhigalov 1960-90”. “Sadovniky” Gallery/ Moscow
1991 - “Journey to the End of D... (New Works 1990-91)”. As above
“Natalia Abalakova and Anatoly Zhigalov 1960-91”. Manege, St.-Petersburg
“N.Abalakova and A.Zhigalov. Graphic Art”. Brno, Czechoslovakia
1993 - “The Unknowable Leaves its Trace in Unpredictable Consequences”.
L- Gallery, Moscow
“Ave, Eva” (Еva Zhigalova). Laboratory. Contemporary Art Centre. Moscow.
“Anatomy of Art”. Graphic Art and Projects 1989-93”. Velta Gallery, Moscow
1994 - “21 fingers”. 21 Gallery, St.Petersburg
1995 - “The North Wind” (performance/videoinstallation). “21” Gallery, St.-Petersburg
“Nordwind” (performance/videoinstallation). Kunstraum, Wuppertal, Germany
1996 - “Place of the Artist”. Videoperformance/installation. “21” Gallery, St.-Petersburg
“Garden of Smiles”. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow.
1997 “To have a little patience - and all’ll be O’K”. Videoinstallation. “ 21” Gallery, St.-Petersburg
1997-98 “To have a little patience - and all’ll be O’K.” Videoinstallation. “Spider & Mouse”gallery. Moscow
1998 “The North Wind”. Videoinstallations. Art Media Centre “TV gallery”. Moscow

Group exhibitions
1974 Exhibition of graphic art. V.Korolenko Library, Moscow
Exhibition of works from A. Gleser’s collection. A. Gleser’s apartment. Moscow
1975 Apartment previews for USSR exhibition. Moscow
“Exhibition of Works by Moscow Artists”. National Economy Exhibition
1976 “Exposition au Musee en Exil”(А.Zhigalov from A.Gleser’s collection). Моngeron, France
1st Exhibition held by City Committee of Graphic Artists (A.Zhigalov). 28 Malaya Gruzinskaya St., Moscow
Exhibition in V. Nikolayev’s apartment (A. Danilov, A. Zhigalov, V. Nikolayev). Moscow
1977 “La nuova arte Sovietica”. (А.Zhigalov) La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy
1977-80 Annual spring and autumn exhibitions. 28 M.Gruzinskaya St., Моscow
1978 “Rassegna sul dissenso culturale nell`Est europio”. (А.Zhigalov) Scuola Art e Mestiert, Aula Magna Scuola cantonale di Commercio, Aula Magna Municipio, Sala Patriziale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
1979 “Colour, Space, Form” (А.Zhigalov). 28 М.Gruzinskaya St., Moscow
1980 Exhibition of Unofficial Art. Exh. rooms of Artists’ Union, Vavilova St., Moscow
“La Lumiere”. Arts festival. Avignon, France
“Le Temps qui court”. France
1981 Exhibition of painting. 28 M.Gruzinskaya St., Moscow
1981-82 “Russian New Wave”. Contemporary Russian Art Center of America. Soho, International Art Center, New York, USA
1982 1st APTART exhibition. APTART Gallery, Moscow
1982-84 “Russian Samizdat Art”. New York, Rochester, Westchester, Washington, Richmond, Seattle, Pittsburg, Los Angeles, USA; Vancouver, Canada
1983 “Russian women artists: 1930-82”(N.Abalakova). Contemporary Russian Art Center, New York,
USA
“АPTART as it is”. Kalistovo, Moscow Region
“Victory over the Sun”. APTART Gallery, Moscow
“АPTART Behind the Fence”. Tarasovka, Moscow Region
“Come Yesterday and You’ll Be First”. City without Walls: an urban artists collective Inc. Contemporary Russian Art Center of America. Newark, New Jersey, New York, USA
1984 “APTART in Tribeca”. Contemporary Russian Art Center of America, New York, USA
“Le Vivant et l’Artificiel”. Avignon, France
1985 Festival of Contemporary Art. Moscow Automobile Plant’s Club
1st Festival of Underground Cinematography. S.Sokhranskaya’s studio. Moscow
“International Experimental Art”. Young Artists’ Club, Budapest, Hungary
“Russian Art Show”. Danceteria, New York, USA
“APTART”. Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, USA
Exhibition of Soviet Artists. City Without Walls Gallery. New York, USA
One-day exhibition of graphic art. Central Artists’ Club, Moscow
Mail-Art exhibitions and projects in Europe and America
Exhibition and Debate of conceptualists and meta-metaphorists. Culture and the Arts Club, Moscow
1986 “Arts of Today”. International Exhibition. Hotel Hilton, Budapest, Hungary
“Laboratory” (one-day exhibition as part of XVII exh. of young artists). Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
“The Nude in Contemporary Art” (exhibition-symposium). Venue as above
Lecture and show of works by N.Abalakova and A.Zhigalov. Poets’ Club, Leningrad
“Art against Commerce” (action). Bitsa Park, Moscow
“Primitive Art” (exhibition-symposium). Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
1987 Exhibition of Unofficial Art. Pavilion in the habour, Leningrad
“Оbject-1”. 28 M.Gruzinskaya St., Moscow
“Retrospective of Moscow Artists 1957-1987”. Hermitage amateur society,
100 Profsoyuznaya St., Moscow
“InterArt”. Poznan, Poland
“Art of Today”. 2nd International Exhibition. Budapest Galeria, Hungary
1987-88 “In Hell” (exhibition-action). Avantgarde Club, Moscow
1988 Mail-Art exhibitions in Poland, Netherlands, USA, Germany, Switzerland
“Labyrinth”. Moscow Youth Club
“Geometry in Art”. Kashirka Gallery, Moscow
Festival of performances. Poznan, Poland
1989 “Expensive Art”. Moscow Youth Club
1991 “3rd Art of Today”. Budapest, Hungary
“Der Weg”. Bergen, Germany
1992 Exhibition by Hammer Group. Manege, Moscow
“Diaspora”. Central Artists’ Club, Moscow
“Diaspora 2”. As above
“The Artist and the Book”. Peresvetov Lane, Moscow
“The Gate”. Еuropean Project. Art Space Gallery. Portsmouth, Gr.Britain
“Mens sana in corpore sano”. Festival of contemporary art, Smolensk
1993 “777 Distance Communication”. Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth, Gr.Britain;
Kunstnernes Hus, Аrchus, Denmark; Storm Gallery, Аmsterdam, Netherlands;
Galeria Nova, Bratislava, Slovakia; Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland;
M.Guelman’s Gallery, Moscow
1994 “Groping in the Dark at Midnight”. Videoart festival, Petrovsky Bvrd; Cinematography Centre,
Moscow
“Exhibition in May”. 20 Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
“A Leap into Emptiness: the Artist instead of his Work”. Еuropean and American avantgarde art 1910-90 Central Artists’ Club, Moscow
“Inter-Graphic”. Тriennale of Graphic Art. Krakow, Poland
Cetinjski Biennale II. Cetine, Montenegro
1995 “The Artist and New Technologies” (seminar). Pereslavl-Zalesski
Тriennale of Graphic Art. Tokyo, Japan
“Inter-Kontakt-Grafika”. Prague, Czechia; Krakow, Poland
“Kunst im verborgenen. Nonkonformisten Russland 1957-1995”. Collection of contemporary art, Tsaritsino Museum. Wilhelm-Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen-am-Rhein; Documenta-Halle, Каssel; Staatliches Lindenau Museum, Altenburg,Germany.
1996 “Spring Exhibition”. Cite International des Arts. Paris. (A. Zhigalov)
“Month of Photografy”. Contemporary Art Institute. Moscow.
“10-th Anniversary of Avangard Club”. Exhibition hall in Peresvetov pereulok. Moscow.
1997 “Credo”. Russian Cultural Foundation. Moscow. Catalogue
“Metamorphosis of Stillife & Naturemort”. Russian Cultural Foundation. Moscow. Catalogue
“Verbality in Art”. Budapest. Hungary. Catalogue
“Contemporary Art”. Moscow. Catalogue
“Moscow Art”. Central Artist House. Moscow
“Artist and his biography.” Budapest, Hungary
“The best world”. Secession. Vien. Austria.
“Reconstruction of the artist A. Blagov’s last project”. “Spider & Mouse” gallery. Moscow. “KUKART III”. International art festival. Tzarskoie Selo, St. Petersburg.
1998 “Russian feminists”. Vuseum of Literature. Moscow
Art Moscow. Maly Manage. Moscow
“The artist’s and poet’s book”. Nyzny Novgorod.
Praprintium. Russian Samizdat. Bochum. Germany.
ARTMANAGE. Moscow.
1999 Visual art. Spider&mouse gallery. Moscow.
Artist about artist. Moscow.
Russian Art – end of 1950-s – beginning of 1980-s/ Thr State collection of Contemporary Art. Central Dome of Artists. Moscow.
Kukart-4. Tzarskoie Selo.
ArtManage. Moscow.
“Liva & Dead”. Escape gallery. Moscow.
2000 Dynamic pairs. Manage,Moscow, Nizny Novgorod, Russian museum, St.-Petersburg.
Art Festival. Izevsk.
ArtMoscow. Central Dome of Artists.
Transition. Gumry Biennale. Spider&mouse gallery. Moscow.
2001 Real people. Zverev Art Centre. Moscow.
Photographers-amateurs. Escape gallery. Moscow.


Natalia Abalakova and Anatoly Zhigalov
TOTART

“Explorations into the Essence of Art as applied to Life and to Art”. TOTART.
From the end of 1970-s Abalakova and Zhigalov who began their artistic carea in 1960-s started working on the Project “Explorations into the Essence of Art as applied to Life and Art”. The Project is an extended artistic event or condition that approaches the Russian avant-guard of the twenties in one direction but also points to the future. The Project is a creative process in which art comes to know itself. The aim is to fill the gap between the Russian avant-guard and contemporary art, which developed in the specific conditions of Soviet reality, and, based on this reality, seeks a language which will adequately function in both a native and international context.
The following issues are of importance to the Project:
The boundary and definition of art (by means of artistic provocations); the merging of life and art and the intrusion of life into art (programmed and accidental situations); the relationship between artist and the audience (subject-object-work-audience-viewer etc.); art as a means of communication (an artistic event as a stimulus to creative contact and decision making); a work of art as an open-closed system (an autonomous self-regulating system, that is not destroyed by outside intrusions); art in its social surroundings (engagedness; “order”and “chaos”; art as the society “free convertible currency”; art as the “erogenous zone”of the social body; art in condition of freedom and captivity etc.).
The methods of realising the Project are very varied. It is TOTART - Total Art. The performers of the general Project use the language of paintings and graphics to develop specific “projects”; in TOTART performances, action, “situations”, “accidental theatre”, objects, installations, cinema, video are all of particular importance. One of the basic elements of TOTART, however, is an artists themselves: they are the subjects and objects of their artistic process; they are Man and Woman - two poles that create a tention in which the audience defines itself with respect to the act of creation of “a work of art”, at the same time undergoing a re-evaluation of values and experiencing “the reality”of his/her presence at this particular place and at this particular time.
In their recent individual and joint works the artists pursue a polemic with Russian Constructivism in which they promote and suggest a new type of active art - TOTART.