FAIR DESCRIPTION
SISTEMA GALLERY became a participant in the twelfth edition of the Cosmoscow International Contemporary Art Fair, which was held at the Timiryazev Center in Moscow from October 25 to 27, 2024. Stand No. D9.
Artists: Rostan Tavasiev, Rudy Molachek, Sanam Sayeh Afkan, Ebru Duruman.
The stand consists of two parts, combining an ironic installation by Rostan Tavasiev about the artist’s attempt at pragmatic interaction with the art market and art history, and the “hidden space of the unconscious” with works by foreign authors.
The installation “At the Bottom of 3D” (2010), according to Rostand himself, visualizes the creative impulse in the artist’s imagination. The “goldfish” floating out of the stereo image of the famous painting of the same name by Henri Matisse symbolize the ideas that the artist has when interacting with the works of other authors. But when the fish rush to the chest of gold, they fall straight into the mouth of a large predatory fish. If an artist thinks about what will sell better, ideas disappear without becoming a masterpiece. On the other wall, supremacist fish paintings are chasing each other, and the big fish will surely eat the smaller one: This is how a great artist “absorbs” a later follower or imitator, leaving his name as the main one in the history of art. But hope is inspired by the paintings hanging next to the cheerful authors of the “hippoart”: “If they did it, maybe I can do it?”.
Anastasia Volkova, Director of SISTEMA GALLERY: “Since its foundation, our gallery has designated one of the vectors of development – work with foreign artists. Several times a year we take part in international fairs, present works by Russian artists at our stands and find foreign authors for cooperation.
At the Cosmoscow fair stand, the gallery presents artists from Turkey – Ebra Duruman and Iran – Sanam Sayeh Afkan, as well as the Austrian artist Rudy Molacek, whose solo exhibition we will open in October this year. In the future, we plan to present exhibitions of foreign artists every autumn”.
Rostan Tavasiev was born in Moscow in 1976 Graduated from the Carl Faberge Professional Lyceum of Decorative and Applied Arts No. 332 as a generalist jeweler (1998). Entered the Stroganov Moscow State University of Art and Industry, the Department ofGraphic Design (2000). Studied "New Art Strategies" at the Institute of Contemporary Art,Moscow (2002). Entered the shortlist in the category “Work of visual art” within state prize incontemporary art “Innovation” (2006, 2013, Moscow). Personal exhibition “It'scomplicated…” was held in Multimedia Art Museum (2013, Moscow) and “Wall” was held in State Tretyakov Gallery (2006, Moscow). The works are in the collections of the "Centre Georges-Pompidou" in Paris, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Multimedia Art Museum, the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation in Moscow, as well as in private collections in Great Britain, Spain, Italy,France, the USA and others. In 2025, the museum exhibition "Harelyaris" was held at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.
View artist's pageRudi Molacek was born in Kindberg, Austria, in 1948 Lives and works in Berlin. Studied atthe Graphics Research and Training Institute and then at the University of Applied Arts inVienna. Later taught there as a visiting professor (1985-1991). Awarded the Gustav KlimtPrize (Vienna, 1998) and the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg Prize for Painting (Graz, 1997).Represented Austria at the Graphic Biennale in Zagreb, Croatia (1994). Participated in theStyrian Autumn Festival of Contemporary Art in Graz, Austria (1998). Participated in ArtCologne in Cologne (1995), Art Forum (1998) and Vienna Art Fair in Vienna (1999, 2000,2006).Solo museum exhibitions were held at the Museum of Modern Art in Admont (Austria, 2011),at the Artists’ House in Vienna (2007) and at the New Gallery of the Museum ComplexJoanneum in Graz (Austria, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2002). He has participated inexhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art (Admont, Austria, 2024), the Victoria and AlbertMuseum in London (2013), the Museum of Modern Art of the Ludwig Foundation in Vienna(MUMOK, 2004) and the Tuna Art Museum (Sweden, 2002). Took part of the travellingexhibition Cities on the Move, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, which was presented ingalleries and museums in Vienna (1997), Bordeaux (France, 1998), New York (1998),Helsinki, London (1999) and Holbeck (Denmark, 1999) between 1997 and 1999Works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art of the Ludwig Foundation inVienna (MUMOK), the Museum of Modern Art in Admont (Austria), the Austrian GalerieBelvedere in Vienna, the New Gallery Graz (Austria), the Eisenstadt Museum (Austria), andin private collections, including those of Uli Sigg (Switzerland).
View artist's page
Sanam Sayeh Afkan was born in 1989 in Rasht, Iran. Lives and works in Tehran. Graduatedwith a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Payam Noor University of Gilan (Iran, 2013).Participant of the Istanbul Contemporary Art Fair (2022, 2023). Solo and group exhibitionshave taken place in Iran and the United States.
View artist's pageEbru Duruman was born in 1992 in Istanbul, Turkey. Currently lives and works in GenevaSwitzerland. Graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from theRhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA (2015). Participant of The Art StudentsLeague of New York, USA (2017-2019). Awarded Honorary Art Award, ENKA (Istanbul,2011). Participated in a group exhibition in Peabody Essex Museum (PEM GALA), Boston,USA (2018). Solo and group exhibitions have taken place in the UK, USA, Turkey, Franceand Switzerland. Participated in the Frieze Art Fair, London (2022), The Armory Show, NewYork, USA (2023), Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul (2023), Art Basel Hong Kong, HongKong (2023, 2024).
View artist's page
