Aleksandr Lialiushkin, Russian artist, told ONEG about himself, and he firmly believes in communication: the art can’t solve problems, but it can help to say something, promoting and encourage dialogues.
With his creations, Aleksandr, try to move on his object in the best way.
From where your creations take place: experience of life, background, emotions, favorite places, etc.
Contemporary art is the transformation of life’s experience for me. The source of inspiration is my own experience. I think emotions, background (either social or cultural), favorite places, or people are parts of that big practice of life. My method to create is to transfer the experience to the audience trying to make the viewer see things my way. For example, in my previous artwork «In these textures, I’ll die» I want to transform my routine life into anarchist world, which is eating me now. I try to make it more realistic, so in that project, I use my real clothes. I want to put into every work a real part of my life.
What is the meaning you want to transmit through your art? Is there a message you would be felt?
My artwork is focused on research in the field of social inequality, national identity, political issues. I’m interested in different themes: self-identification of an artist, the political situation in my country and the whole world, sexual and gender inequality, etc. My message is to encourage dialogue. I don’t think the artist can solve the problem, but the mission of art is to transfer the new experience helping people stay connected and feel the «other», whatever it means. In the new work «Sense of kin 2020» I have a conversation about the motherland, about moving from place to place. It’s a very personal theme because I’m from a little village Buturlino in central Russia.
On your instagram profile, you speak about yourself like a person who is able to do a lot of things: artist, performer, traveler, choreographer, designer. Each of these experiences help you to improve your art? If you were not all of that, do you think you would miss something, both emotional or in therm of know-how?
I want to create art in the vector of a multidisciplinary approach, controversial opinion and different ways to see problems. I like to build complex systems. The chosen media depends on the meaning. It gives me more freedom to create art. For example, in my theater performance «WE», dedicated to «Moscow protests», I create the scenography also. You can see the scenography only and understand the theme. On the other hand, when you see the performance it becomes the new stage of understanding the problem. I like to switch from one thing to another protecting myself from professional burnout.
Describe yourself with three adjectives, beautiful, ugly, different.
Contradictory, forthright, any.
Photo by Polina Nazarova
Having all lived the COVID-19 experience, it undoubtedly influenced our lives. How did your art move during this period of quarantine?
There are two projects about in my practice: “Slow sliding down at home” and “ARTEPOVERA20 / COVID19.” They both transfer my fear and loneliness through this pandemic period. I understand these times will end, but I can’t be calm now. “Slow sliding down at home” is more personal. It’s me fighting myself during the lockdown and losing that fight. “ARTEPOVERA20 / COVID19” is full of fear of transformation. When you watch it, you can see faces, snakes, orgy, trees, earth, etc. As for me, I see the death. In several days after the creation of it, Germano Celant dies. It’s a terrible blow for me because the fear I want to reflect in “ARTEPOVERA20 / COVID19” becomes reality.
How do you think your art will evolve or adapt to future post-pandemic periods ?
To be honest, I don’t know, how. Some parts of my art, such as choreography, will have more challenging moments, than digital, for example. Nowadays, I take part in some online exhibitions, but the need for my art to be offline is growing.
