The 5th anniversary of Pobeda Gallery
Alexey Kiselev. NOTHING SPECIAL
5/04/2012 – 04/06/2012

Five years ago occurred the opening of Pobeda Gallery, one of the first professional photo galleries of Moscow. Ellen von Unwerth, a legend in the world of fashion photography, became the first photographer whose works had been presented at the gallery in the spring of 2007.

Having set the bar high by the first exhibition, Pobeda Gallery over 5 years doesn’t leave the planned way, introducing its audience the works of masters and stars of world and domestic photography, ensuring their presence at the openings as well as conducting parallel programs in the form of master classes and lectures. Trying to create a comprehensive idea of this multi-faceted art form, the gallery displays works of documentary and "glossy" photographers, recognized portraitists and landscape photographers, experimenters and adherents of traditional photography. Many of the exhibitions over the past five years have become remarkable events of the capital artistic life - from the above-mentioned Ellen von Unwerth and Joslyn Bain Hogg with his «Firm», «Stars of the Soviet Screen» by unique Nikolay Gnisuk, Valery Plotnikov and Igor Gnevashev, the Japanese philosopher, Masao Yamamoto; retrospective exhibition of Alexey Titarenko, covering almost thirty years of work of this internationally acclaimed author, to portraits of jazz and rock idols by the Woodstock reporter, phenomenal Baron Wolman; series of works by the German photographer Thomas Dworzak, dedicated to the proud and long-suffering people of Caucasus.

In early 2011, the gallery presented the first group exhibition of Georgian pictures in Moscow. More than 60 works of photographers from different generations and different directions recreated a many - sided face of so-called "New Wave" in the contemporary Georgian photography.

Interest, shown in the expressive photographic experience of the world-famous ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, gave rise to the demonstration of his works by the gallery in the halls of The Stroganov Palace of Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Filigree works of the British «painter» Michael Kenna, shown in the gallery in 2008, which earned numerous sympathy of the audience and collectors, provided the basis for holding a large retrospective exhibition of the author at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art on Petrovka.

Three times exhibitions-debuts were organized by the gallery (Anya Titova, DashaYastrebova, Maria Gruzdeva), which served as a springboard for young authors, and made it possible to make themselves known not only in Russia.

Pobeda Gallery – is the first Russian gallery, who participated in the international photography festival Paris Photo 2009. Gallery has also been successfully presented at international fairs VOLTA NY, VOLTA6 in Basel, Madrid Photo, and Art-Moscow.

In the nearest plans of the gallery are exhibitions of art by Evgeniy Nesterov, Mikhail Rozanov, Ilya Piganov, and also by pioneer in the field of color photography - a bright representative of The Silver Age of Russian Literature - Leonid Andreyev.

The personal exhibition of Alexey Kiselev NOTHING SPECIAL is dated to the fifth anniversary of the gallery. Retrospective includes various periods of the photographer’s works: from the portraits of friends from different years, working shots to the famous series "Cats".

Alexey Kiselev was born in Yekaterinburg in 1976, lives and works in Moscow since 2004. «One ordinary autumn day at a time I walked in Yekaterinburg - I had no money, no job and no prospects. Just a body. And, suddenly, I decided – I will be a photographer. On the remains of the money I bought "Zenit" in the TSUM store, and on the patch I bought "Photoshop" magazine from the traders of books», says Alexey. In 1999 occurred his debut in a group show at Guelman Gallery, in 2008 - the first personal exhibition in London (Riflemaker Gallery), then in 2010 - in Berlin (Lucas Carrieri Gallery). Taking into attention the distinction between abstract and intuitive, Kiselev has never questioned the trustworthiness of the surroundings. Casual images or "random snapshots" of Alexey Kiselev offer a new way of contemplation of things and show the attitude of the photographer to personal memory.

The exhibition explores the interest of Alexey Kiselev to the idea of stereotypes and identity. Strange cut shots, amateur close-up shootings with the flash analyze the characters of Kiselev’s heroes: drunk and kind friends, strangers, pets, awkward interiors, shot with the raw and ruthless («lens») look without nuances, acquaint us with the strong side of Kiselev - penetration into the private subjective space. Bare and unpolished, they appear in front of him not closed, but stunningly vulnerable.

The book «THE NAUGHTY NOUGHTIES» has been published by Badpaper in 2008.

The exhibition is held with the support of the professional photo laboratory FOTOLAB, Russian Champagne House "Abrau-Durso" and "Seryab" company.