1941   born in Arzamas, Gorky Region

1964   graduated from Moscow Regional Pedagogical Institute (philology dep-t)

since late 1950s   has been writing poetry and painting

from early 1970s   works together with N. Abalakova

from 1979   participated (with N. Abalakova) in the project "Explorations into the Essence of Art as Applied to Life and Art" (called TOTART since 1983)

from 1981   helped to set up Moscow Archive of New Art

from 1982   active in APTART movement

from 1984   member of the French Union of Young Artists

from 1985   member of Hungary's Young Artists' Club

from 1987   member of Avantgarde Club (CLAVA)

from 1993   member of Artists' Union and Writers' Union

from 1996   member of "Free Culture" Humanitarian Foundation

1960-61   Performances with Fire (A. Zhigalov)

1972   Project of the Falling Bed

1978-79   The beginning of the project "Explorations into the Essence of Art as Applied to Life & Art". Projects ("Winter Projects" and others)
Beginning of the Project "Explorations into the Essence of Art as Applied to Life & Art". ("Winter Projects", etc.)

1980   "Burial of the Flower", "White Cube", "Black Cube". Author’s 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
"Appearance 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)

1982   "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   "Presence, presence". S.Sokhranskaya's studio, Moscow
"Dispute Art I". As above
"Invitation in May". Author’s home. Moscow
"The Rope", "To the Lovers of Art". Projects for exhibition in Paris
"Avant-Garde Sign". Musical performance. Author’s 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). Author’s home, Moscow

1985   "Dispute 2". S. Sokhranskaya's studio, Moscow
"The Golden Ladder". Sokhranskya's studio. Moscow
1-st festival of Soviet underground cinema. As above
"16 Self-Identifications". Author’s home, Moscow
"Rubbish Graphics". Action. Central House of Artists. 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"). Author’s 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". Avant-Guarde Club action "Art against Commerce". Bitza park. Moscow

1987   "Classic TOTART-Object". "Object I". As above
"The Art Center Project Waken". Avant-Guarde Club event "The Show in Hell". Moscow
"A Cause to Acquaintance". Installation. "Exhibition in Harbour". Leningrad

1988   "Moscow-Paris-Moscow". Video-performance by Abalakova-Zhigalov-Sekal. Paris, France
"The Project Exhumed". Action in Avant-Guarde Club, "Exhumation" action. Moscow
Installation project 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 Performance". Avant-Guarde Club event. The Sandunovsky Baths male department. Moscow

1990   Installation project for Marseille Biennale
"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, Czechoslovakia

1991   "An Occasion for Acquaintance". "3rd meeting of Vision and Image Theatre". Каtowice, Poland

1992   Installation project for Marseille Biennale
Untitled performance. Project "Gateway". "Aspex" gallery. Portsmouth, England

1993   "Ave, Eve". 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). Pereslavl-Zalessky
"The North W ind". Video performance. "Free Culture" Humanity Foundation. "21" gallery. St. Petersburg
"Nordwind". Performance/video installation. Kunstraum. Wuppertal. Germany

1996   "Place of the Artist". "Free Culture" Humanity Foundation. "21"gallery. St. Petersburg
"Garden of Smiles". "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow

1997   "Just Have a Little Patience – and All’ll Be OK". Video installation. "Free Culture" Humanity Foundation. "21" gallery. St. Petersburg
"Date Unconcealed" and "Footprints". "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow
"Foucalt’s Pendulum". Polyscreen video installation. "KUKART-III" art festival. Tsarskoye Selo
"The Doors". Venue as above

1997-98   "Just Have a little Patience – and All'll Be O'K." Video installation. "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow

1998   "The North Wind". 2 video installations. Art Media Center "TV Gallery". Moscow
"In Such a Cold Weather Art Is Impossible, but If to Have a Little Patience..." Performance. "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow

1974   NII MPG (A. Zhigalov)

from 1978   – TOTART Projects and performances

1982   "Retro-1: These Lovely 1960s – 70s". Aptart gallery. Moscow

1989   "Natalia Abalakova and Anatoly Zhigalov. Works of 1961-89". Third Eye Gallery, Glasgow

1990   NPO "Region" (A. Zhigalov)
"ТОТАRТ. N. Abalakova and A. Zhigalov. 1960-90". "Sadovniky" Gallery. Moscow

1991   "Journey to the D’s End... (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, Eve" (Еve 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/video installation). "21" Gallery, St. Petersburg
"Nordwind" (performance/video installation). Kunstraum, Wuppertal, Germany

1996   "Place of the Artist". Video performance/installation. "21" Gallery, St. Petersburg
"Garden of Smiles". "Spider & Mouse"gallery. Moscow

1997   "Just Have a Little Patience – and All'll Be OK". Video installation. " 21" Gallery, St. Petersburg

1997-98   "Just Have a Little Patience – and All'll Be OK." Video installation. "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow

1998   "The North Wind". Video installations. Art Media Center "TV Gallery". Moscow

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 the 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 the 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 House of Artists, 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). Avant-Garde Club, Moscow

1988   Mail-Art exhibitions in Poland, the Netherlands, USA, Germany, Switzerland
"Labyrinth". Moscow Youth Palace
"Geometry in Art". Kashirka Gallery, Moscow
Festival of performances. Poznan, Poland

1989   "Expensive Art". Moscow Youth Palace

1991   "3rd Art of Today". Budapest, Hungary
"Der Weg". Bergen, Germany

1992   Exhibition by Hammer Group. Manege, Moscow
"Diaspora". Central House of Artists, 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, the Netherlands; Galeria Nova, Bratislava, Slovakia; Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland; M. Guelman Gallery, Moscow

1994   "Groping in the Dark at Midnight". Video Art 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 avant-garde art 1910-90 Central House of Artists, 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 Photography". Contemporary Art Institute. Moscow
"10-th Anniversary of Avant-Guarde Club". Exhibition hall in Peresvetov pereulok. Moscow

1997   "Credo". Russian Cultural Foundation. Moscow. Catalogue
"Metamorphoses of Stillife & Naturemort". Russian Cultural Foundation. Moscow. Catalogue
"Verbality in Art". Budapest. Hungary. Catalogue
"Contemporary Art". Mosc ow. Catalogue
"Moscow Art". Central Artist House. Moscow
"Artist and His Biography." Budapest, Hungary
"The Best World". Secession. Viena. Austria
"Reconstruction of the Artist A. Blagov's Last Project". "Spider & Mouse" gallery. Moscow
"KUKART-III". International art festival. Tsarskoye Selo, St. Petersburg

1998   "Russian Feminists". Museum of Literature. Moscow
Art Moscow. Maly Manege. Moscow
"The Artist's and Poet's Book". Nyzhny Novgorod
Praprintium. Russian Samizdat. Bochum. Germany
ART-MANEGE. Moscow

1999   Visual Art. Spider&Mouse gallery. Moscow
Artist about Artist. Moscow
Russian Art – end of 1950-s – beginning of 1980-s/ The State collection of Contemporary Art. Central House of Artists. Moscow
Kukart-4. Tsarskoye Selo
ArtManege. Moscow
"Live & Dead". Escape gallery. Moscow

2000   Dynamic Pairs. Manege, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Art Festival. Izhevsk
ArtMoscow. Central House 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 Art"

From the end of the 1970s Abalakova and Zhigalov who began their artistic career in the 1960s, 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-guarde of the twenties in one direction but also points to the future. The Project is a creative process where art comes to know itself. The aim is to fill the gap between the Russian avant-guarde and contemporary art that developed in the specific conditions of Soviet reality, and, based on this reality, seeks a language which will adequately function in native and international context as well.

The following issues are of importance to the Project:
The boundary and definition of art (by means of artistic provocations); merging of life and art and intrusion of life into art (programmed and accidental situations); relationship between the 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 of "free convertible currency"; art as the "erogenous zone" of the social body; art under conditions of freedom and captivity, etc.).

The methods of the Project realization 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 artists themselves: they are subjects and objects of their artistic process; they are Man and Woman – two poles that create a tension when 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 where they promote and suggest a new type of active art – TOTART.