Globally, our environment is no longer in a state about which we can be optimistic. Anthropocene compels us to fundamentally reconsider the modern conception of nature as a mere object. Augustin Berque, a French advocate of mesology (Uexkül‘s Umweltlehre, Watsuji’s fūogaku, i.e. the study of milieu) suggested the strange question “does nature think?” as the theme of this international conference. The aim of the conference is to re–examine the modern view of nature, whereby human beings are seen as holding atranscendental position. We will invite 25 to 30 researchers from different fields (anthropology, geography, philosophy, Buddhism, human environmental studies, primatology, agricultural science, oceanography, law, history of Western art, etc. ), as well as practitioners who directly face and work within nature, to discuss together, in an intercultural and interdisciplinary approach, a series of questions centering on the problem of what may or may not distinguish human thinking from the diverse types of self–awareness and communication, discovered by ethology and biosemiotics, to exist among other living beings.

There is a Beginning in the End
San Fantin Church

Together with the Stella Art Foundation, the Pushkin Museum will present a special project of the “Pushkin Museum XXI” initiative in Venice: There is a Beginning in the End, a modern art exhibition in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Venetian artist Jacopo Robusti, called Tintoretto. This event will be held at the same time as the 58th Venice Biennale.

The San Fantin church, where Tintoretto’s paintings used to be displayed, will host works by contemporary artists Dmitry Krymov, Irina Nakhova and Gary Hill. These pieces will be in dialogue with a painting by Emilio Vedova, a modernist Italian artist and one of Tintoretto’s followers, and the historical context of the venue. An intervention project by the !Mediengruppe Bitnik team from Switzerland will complement the exhibition and stress the atmosphere of participation and affiliation with a secret Venetian brotherhood.

In contrast to a traditional exhibition, this project is arranged as a kind of contemporary liturgy where each act is a new artwork filling the entire space of the church. In addition to media objects, the exhibition will feature a painting by Emilio Vedova, an Italian abstractionist and main follower of Tintoretto in the 20th century, which is echoed by the works of contemporary artists.

Dmitry Krymov, a scenery designer, turns the San Trovaso Church into a performative installation inspired by the Last Supper. As an interpretation of this biblical story, he constructs in the altar of the San Fantin Church an alternative reality based on trompe-l’oeil, an optical illusion, thereby causing the viewers to doubt the correctness of their perception.

A media installation by Irina Nakhova consists of three parts, each being a reference to the works of the great master. All of them reinterpret biblical stories from the perspective of contemporary history. For this artist, an important theme of Tintoretto’s works is the vigorous movement of masses of people with their crucial emotional intensity. A swirling material born on earth searches for a way out in the transcendent outer space, which is hardly comprehensible but can be felt through Irina Nakhova’s dramatic media object.

Gary Hill, a classic of American media art, decomposes Tintoretto’s paintings into patterns and elements and uses those as a basis on which to create a new sounding and shimmering essence. The primary starting point for Hill is the realm of human consciousness rather than architectural space. The combination of visual images and intense electronic tones makes it possible to achieve a deep synesthetic experience.

Tondo, one of Emilio Vedova’s later works presented at the exhibition, is in the shape of a circle. It reflects the concept of an endless loop of time. For Vedova, the mission of an artist was to record and re-translate the eternal themes of disturbing worldwide collisions: wars, injustice, oppression. Like Tintoretto, he handles huge spaces and forces of nature rather than single images. He employs the circular shape to go beyond the depictive environment through the connection between space and time.

The Pushkin Museum exhibition will be the first event to welcome a wide audience to the San Fantin Church after a decade of restoration work. Its construction was finished in the 16th century, while the first local public worship buildings date back to the 10th century.

Another participant of the exhibition is the !Mediengruppe Bitnik team, which will hold a secret intervention project for the viewers to join Tintoretto’s Secret Brotherhood. The atmosphere of secrecy, affiliation and co-creation will connect their project with the Venetian brotherhoods.

Visitors of this year’s Venice Biennale, which kicks on May 11, are in for a real surprise. The world’s most anticipated art show is hosting not one but three iconic Russian museums, each showcasing works from the last 100 years, complete with a subtle reference to the Renaissance in Venice.

According to the Director of St.Petersburg’s Hermitage, Mikhail Piotrovsky, the museum will curate the Russian Pavilion at the Giardini della Biennale. For the first time ever, the task of curating a pavilion will not fall on an individual or group, but an institution.

Russia’s entry will be a collective exhibit featuring Aleksander Sokurov, who scooped the Venice Film Festival’s coveted Golden Lion award with his film Faust, and scenic painter Aleksander Shishkin-Hokusai. Sculptures featuring in the latter’s installation are currently being made in workshops in St.Petersburg’s Tovstonogov Theater, which Piotrovsky says is partnering up with the Venice Biennale.

Moscow’s Pushkin Museum and Tretyakov Gallery are also preparing their own shows at different locations in Venice. The Pushkin is teaming up with the Stella Art Foundation for the exhibition called “At the end dwells the beginning…” at the Church of San Fantin, presented as a dialogue between Old Masters and contemporary artists. Among those being featured include Tintoretto and Emilio Vedova, theater director Dmitry Krymov, and conceptualist Irina Nakhova (who represented Russia at the 2015 biennale), American video artist Garry Hill, and the Swiss collective !Mediengruppe Bitnik.

As requested by the Venice-based Ca’ Foscari University, the Tretyakov will curate a monographic exhibit by Geliy Korzhev titled “Korzhev. Back to Venice.” The representative of socialist realism, who authored the famous “Raising the Banner,” is a favorite of Tretyakov Director Zelfira Tregulova. She featured his work at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, not to mention organizing his first retrospective at the Tretyakov in 2016.

The word “Back” in the title of the exhibit relates to the artist’s participation in the 1962 biennale, when he represented Russia, among others. Today this exhibition space will feature some 50 works.

Both Moscow museums have also submitted their exhibits to the biennale’s parallel program, which will provide additional opportunities to promote their exhibitions. However, the Pushkin Museum told Russia Beyond that both applications have been declined.

Adnan Hadzi gave a Keynote on sounds of distinction at the Circuits conference.

Circuits is Electronic Music Malta’s annual conference organised in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Kreattivita and which has been organised every year since 2016.

Circuits, the annual conference for electronic music production and performance enthusiasts is back! Now in its fourth edition, Circuits is being again organised at Spazju Kreattiv and will span two days on the 3rd and 4th of May 2019.

At Circuits this year, besides the usual non-stop discussions, performances, and installations, there will be several new additions. One of these additions will be the presence of a public music equipment stand sporting various state of the synthesizers, drum machines and other equipment which the public can try out.

Besides these, the public can attend to a lecture followed by a performance on how to build guitars or distortion units from recycled equipment, they can attend a masterclass on mastering hosted by a world-class producer and engineer, experience alternative electronic music performances which include live sketching, a modern chamber ensemble and also a performance where electro-acoustic and synthesizer pioneers meet today’s electronic dance music.

Circuits, the conference for local electronic music production enthusiasts, returns this year on the 3rd and 4th of May at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta. This conference is now in its fourth edition. For the first time, this year, there will be a music equipment demonstration area hosted by Black Box Pro.

What will be Happening on the First Day?

The equipment demonstration area will open as from 16:00 hours whilst there will be a workshop hosted by Patricia Cvetkovic at 17:00 hours.
The first day will come to a conclusion at 20:00 hours with a Performance-Lecture by alternative instrument creator Yuri Landman, a past artists-in-residence of the Spazju Kreattiv Artists’ Residency. During this activity, Yuri will be performing using a variety of his instruments whilst delving into technical aspects used in the creation process.

What will be Happening on the Second Day?

On the second day, the conference will reach its peak with a series of discussions and representations starting at 14:00 hours with the participation of Adnan Hadziselmovic, In†rσwΣrks, Mario Abela, Melchior Sultana, Mike Desira, Patricia Cvetkovic, Robert Babicz, The Ebbin & Flow, and Vertical Dimension.

The interact area (with live dj’s, an information desk and video kiosks) will open as from 14:00 hours and the equipment demonstration area will open as from 13:00 hours.
The conference will come to an end at 20:00 hours with a concert from the groups POW Ensemble and Poèmes Électroniques.

POW Ensemble / Poèmes Électroniques Performances
Yuri Landman Performance-Lecture
Demonstration Area
Discussion Area
Workshop Area