Aleksandr Schumow
born in Moscow, 1960
is a Russian-Swiss artist, critic and art curator who graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1986 and since 1991 lives mainly in Zurich. Amongst his activities there are exhibitions alike „I beleive“ at Vinzavod in Moscow (2007), „Technics of exstasies“ at Moscow Museum of Contemporary Arts (2009), „Mein schwules Auge“ at Werkstattgalerie in Berlin (2008), conferences such as „Fractals“ at Russian Institute of Philosophy (2008), and big curatorial projects - “Energy of delusion“ / Cultural seasons at DOM club in Moscow (2005).
His main interest is a masculine world of intimate so that he often dedicates his subjects to historical avantgarde heroes as well as documents private life of his friends, colleagues and contemporaries. Such were his works at „Festival Intim Photography“ presented at Gallery Refleks in Moscow (2004), “Reconaissance Art“, Malyi Manezh, Moscow (2003) and others. At the same time he is a regular participant to historical avantgarde jubilees and anniversary at which he is involved as both artist and historian. Such are Malevich Festival in Moscow, modern abstract painting exhibition presented at Schusew Architecture Museum (Moscow) or „Dada Global“ at Kunsthaus Zürich to which he published an extra edition of Supremus, a artistic magazine he publishes during more than ten years.
SUPREMUS
Supremus is the title of a magazine edited and published by Aleksandr Schumow during last thirteen years. Several issues went out in dedication to this or that celebrated events in Switzerland and Russia, such as dada anniversaries and celebrations. At the same time, Supremus entitles a certain figure identical to the artist persona as a sort of superego. His installation's scenarios often presume kind of interprenetration between some level of real and desirable, with latter being fulfilled with aspiration for certain perfection in the artist's own world of dream. Rather installed and consisting of huge number of elements, his opuses are being viewed as shocking of their confessionary nature at times. This is most definitely what artist intends to do with his spectator when inviting him into the world of 'daily avantgarde' based on chaotic associations that would provoke and release one's fantasies deliberately.