Posturbanism Art Project () is an conceptual project and art movement articulated and developed by the artist Alexey Parygin, which gave impetus to the formation of the social and philosophical utopian theory of Posturbanism.
History
Posturbanism Art Project is the artist's third philosophical manifesto, a continuation of previous big works: Contemplation of Money (1996âÂÂ2000), Art in the Forest (2000âÂÂ2005), Art is a Business (2000âÂÂ2015).
Since 2000, Parygin has been developing the utopian concept of the form of art after the death of artâÂÂPostUrbanism. The term posturbanism was publicly introduced by the artist in a manifesto published in the fall of 2010.
In a 2018 article, The Idea and the Manifesto ('), published in French in art brut magazine Revue Trakt, Alexey Parygin outlined the main theses of the concept. Later, he wrote and published a number of texts clarifying the author's philosophy, where he outlined the conceptual components and visual markers of his idea.
Two groups of wooden objectsâÂÂMasks and SignsâÂÂformed the material basis of the performances.
Masks are the main element of the performances Fire, Water, Earth held in a number of countries: Russia, Finland, Poland, Croatia, Montenegro, Tunisia, etc. The man with the mask is a counterpoint to the culture-nature opposition. The artist, working with the nude body, installs himself (or a model) in natural and urban environments, acting as a marker of the zone of conflict between the natural and the artificial.
Key ideas
The totem signs were made as self-sufficient sculptural objects, modules of mobile installations. The compositions are a plastic improvisation. Their structure, like the engraving itself, is generally borrowed from nature, reminiscent of the cunning moves of woodworm beetles on the surface of trees.
Appealing to the language of proto-art as a tool most adequate to the program tasks, the project enters into a resonant dialogue-conflict with modern society, its ideologies, ideals, and mythology.
Exhibitions
- Alexey Parygin/ PostUrbanism-Northwest.âÂÂAlvar Aalto Library. Vyborg. July 1âÂÂ31, 2025.
- Posturbanism: Back to the Future. Alexey Parygin. Engravings, art objects, collection.âÂÂBook Graphics Library. St. Petersburg. March 16âÂÂApril 16, 2023.
- Four squared.âÂÂMuseum of Nonconformist Art. Art Center Pushkinskaya 10. St. Petersburg. June 25âÂÂAugust 28, 2022.
- Mashkerad.âÂÂAlexander Shumov Gallery. Moscow. May 13âÂÂJune 13, 2021.
- Color on paper.âÂÂThe Great Hall of the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design. St. Petersburg. April 12âÂÂ26, 2021.
- Sopromat.âÂÂMuseum of the avant-garde on Shabolovka. Moscow. February 18âÂÂMarch 29, 2020.
- Graphics Festival-UNI Graphica 2019.âÂÂKrasnodar Regional Art Museum named after F. A. Kovalenko. Krasnodar. September 12âÂÂOctober 13, 2019.
- Quatrième biennale internationale de poésie visuelle dâÂÂIlle sur Tet Catalogne nord.âÂÂIlle-sur-Têt. France. June 4âÂÂ16, 2019.
- Artisterium XII. Annual International Contemporary Art Exhibition and Art Events.âÂÂDavid Kakabadze Fine Art Gallery. Kutaisi, Tbilisi. Georgia. June 11âÂÂ30, 2019.
- SPb Subjective factor. St. Petersburg: Saint Petersburg Union of Artists. January 29âÂÂFebruary 3, 2019.
- Dualism / Third Baltic Biennale of Book ArtâÂÂ2018.âÂÂSt. Petersburg Creative Union of Artists (IFA). St. Petersburg. December 3âÂÂ14, 2018.
- Biennale New ideas for the city-VIII.âÂÂNew Exhibition Hall of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture. St. Petersburg. October 15âÂÂNovember 28, 2018.
- âÂÂ17. INTERBIFEPâ Mezinárodnàbienále festivalu portrétu.âÂÂMezinárodnàportrétnàgalerie.Tuzla. Bosnia and Herzegovina. September 17âÂÂNovember 2, 2018.
- Made in Japan.âÂÂSt. Petersburg Creative Union of Artists (IFA). St. Petersburg. June 14âÂÂ28, 2018.
- Lines and dots.âÂÂArt Center Pushkinskaya 10, Gallery "Door". St. Petersburg.âÂÂ2018.
- Personajes y otros retratos.âÂÂGalerÃÂa Santa Thekl Atelier. Guatemala. July 5âÂÂAugust 31, 2018.
- 20th Beijing Art Expo.âÂÂChina International Exhibition Center. Beijing. China. August 31âÂÂSeptember 3, 2017.
- Posturbanism / Human.âÂÂNevsky 20 (rotunda), St. Petersburg.âÂÂ2014.
- Pro print.âÂÂNevsky 20 (rotunda), St. Petersburg. 1âÂÂ18 March 2014.
- Posturbanism / Blow-Up.âÂÂArt Center Pushkinskaya 10, Gallery "Door". St. Petersburg. January 12âÂÂFebruary 3, 2013.
- Petersburg 2011.âÂÂCentral Exhibition Hall Manege. St. Petersburg. 6âÂÂ26 January 2012.
- Art in the Forest (a series of installations and performances in the natural environment).âÂÂKarelian Isthmus.âÂÂ2010.
Interview
Public lectures
- âÂÂPosturbanism: yesterday, today, tomorrowâÂÂ. Library of book graphics. Saint Petersburg. 2023, April 1. 5-6.30 p.m. (As part of a personal exhibition).
- âÂÂPost Urbanism as the Concept of the FutureâÂÂ. David Kakabadze Kutaisi Fine Art Gallery. Kutaisi. 2019, June 15, Saturday. 3-4 p.m. (As part of the art festival âÂÂArtisterium XIIâÂÂ.
Bibliography
Articles
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü â ÃÂõÃÂüøýþûþóøÃÂõÃÂúøù ðÃÂÿõúÃÂ. â St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 75, St. Petersburg: AIS, 2023. â P. 175âÂÂ178. (RUS)
- Severyukhin D. Ya. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü øûø ðÃÂÃÂ
ðøúð ñÃÂôÃÂÃÂõóþ. â St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 67, St. Petersburg: AIS, 2021. â P. 63âÂÂ65. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü úðú óøÿþÃÂõ÷ð. â St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 68, St. Petersburg: AIS, 2022. â P. 255âÂÂ259. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü â ÃÂþÃÂúð ýõòþ÷òÃÂðÃÂð. â St. Petersburg. â 2021.
- Parygin A. B., Ratkyavichyute K. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü úðú ýõþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂø÷ü. â St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 58, St. Petersburg: AIS, 2020. â P. 103âÂÂ104. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü úðú úþýÃÂõÿÃÂøàñÃÂôÃÂÃÂõóþ // St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 53, St. Petersburg: AIS, 2019. â P. 236âÂÂ238. (RUS)
- Paryguine ÃÂ. Idée et Manifeste [Posturbanisme] // Revue Traktàâ Nu. 6; Juin 2018.àâ Paris.àâ pp. 26âÂÂ28. ISSN 2558-3522
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂøýøø ø ÃÂþÃÂúø. Press release (flyer) for the exhibition February 24 â March 18, 2018. â St. Petersburg. â 2018. â 1 s. (RUS)
- Zamyatin D. N. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü, ÃÂþÿÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂðýÃÂÃÂòõýýþÃÂÃÂÃÂ, øÃÂúÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂòþ: øüðöøýðûÃÂýþþýÃÂþûþóøÃÂõÃÂúøù ÿþòþÃÂþà/ XI ÃÂúþýýøúþòÃÂúøõ ÃÂÃÂõýøà(üðÃÂõÃÂøðûàýðÃÂÃÂýþù úþýÃÂõÃÂõýÃÂøø). 2017. â P. 114âÂÂ140. (RUS)
- Grigoryants E. I. ëÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷üû ÃÂûõúÃÂõàÃÂðÃÂÃÂóøýð. â St. Petersburg art notebooks, # 34., St. Petersburg: AIS, 2015. â P. 66âÂÂ69. (RUS)
- Grigoryants E. I. ÃÂÃÂúÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂòþ ÿþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷üð // Bulletin of St. Petersburg State University of Technology and Design. â 2015. â # 4, St. Petersburg: SPb GUTD, 2015. â P. 61âÂÂ64,col. illus. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷ü/ çõûþòõú. Exhibition booklet. â St. Petersburg. â 2014. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. Posturbanism / Blow-Up. Flyer for the exhibition. January 12 â February 3, 2013. â St. Petersburg: Pushkinskaya 10. â 2013. â 1 s. (RUS)
- Parygin A. B. ÃÂðýøÃÂõÃÂàÿþÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂñðýø÷üð (Flyer). â áÃÂñ. â 2010. â 1 s. (RUS)
Artist's book
- Alexey Parygin Posturban. Saint Petersburg, 2016.
- Alexey Parygin PostUrbanism Fire. Saint Petersburg, 2015.
- Alexey Parygin Posturbanism. Saint Petersburg, 2012.
Exhibition catalogues
- Posturbanism: Back to the Future. Alexey Parygin. Engravings, art objects, collection. Authors of the articles: Konokotina L., Kononikhin N. St. Petersburg: BKG.âÂÂ2023.âÂÂ24 pp.
- Imago Mundi/ Beyond the Black square. Contemporary Artists from St. Petersburg. Texts: Luciano Benetton, Liliana Malta, Gleb Ershov.âÂÂTreviso: Antiga Edizioni, 2021.âÂÂ480 pp.âÂÂP. 308âÂÂ309. (English, Russian, Italian)
- áþÿÃÂþüðÃÂ/ Group project album. Auth. Comp.: Mathyssen K. Moscow; N. Novgorod: Express.âÂÂ2021.âÂÂ128 p. pp. 48âÂÂ49, 74.
- City as Artist's subjectivity. Artist's book project. Catalog. Authors of the articles: Parygin A.B., Markov T.A., Klimova E.D., Borovsky A.D., Severyukhin D.Ya., Grigoryants El., Blagodatov N.I. (Rus & En)âÂÂSPb: T. Markov Publishing house. 2020.âÂÂ128 pp.
- Artisterium XII. Artisterium On the Road / Catalog (7 notebooks in the cover). Tbilisi: Artisterium.âÂÂ2019.
- Nuire No. 5. Quatrième biennale internationale de poésie visuelle dâÂÂIlle sur Tet Catalogne nord / Catalog. Ille-sur-Têt.â 2019.âÂÂ95 pp. P. 82.
- 5ê Bienal Internacional de Gravura ëLÃÂvio Abramoû / Catalog. Araraquara/SP.âÂÂ2019.âÂÂ23 pp.
- áÃÂñ áÃÂñÃÂõúÃÂøòýÃÂù ÃÂðúÃÂþà/ Catalog. Auth. int. Art.: A. Dolgushin. SPb.âÂÂ2019.âÂÂ133 pp., ill. pp. 102âÂÂ103.
- Third International Printmaking Biennial in Cacak / Catalog. ÃÂaÃÂak.âÂÂ2018.âÂÂ105 pp., ill. P. 26.
- ë17. INTERBIFEPû Mezinárodnàbienále festivalu portrétu / Catalog. Tuzla: Mezinárodnàportrétnàgalerie Tuzla.âÂÂ2018.âÂÂ186 pp. P. 130.
- ÃÂþòÃÂõ øôõø ôûàóþÃÂþôðâÂÂVIII / Exhibition catalogue. Auth. int. Art.: A. A. Kovalevskaya. St. Petersburg: GMGS, 2018.âÂÂ56 pp., col. ill. P. 30.
- ÃÂÃÂðûø÷ü. Third Baltic Book Art Biennale / Exhibition catalogue. Auth. int. Art.: I. Grinchel, Parygin A.B., Grigoryants El. St. Petersburg, 2018.âÂÂ100 pp., color. ill.
- ÃÂýøöýþõ ÿûðüà/ Book fire / International Project of the Miniature Artist's Book / Exhibition Catalogue. Auth. int. Art.: M. Pogarsky. Moscow: Cherry Pie.â 015.âÂÂ116 pp., col. ill. P. 102.
- ÃÂÃÂþ ÿÃÂøýà/ Exhibition catalogue. Auth. int. Art.: V. Borisov. SPb.âÂÂ2014.âÂÂ24 pp., color. ill. pp. 16âÂÂ17.
Works
References