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photo: Steven Kohlstock

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I r e n  R u s s o

Can you tell us about your background in the arts, and how you ended up working as an independent PR agency specialising in photography and also as an art collector?

As long as I can remember, I have loved the arts. As a child, you would always see me with a piece of paper and a crayon; later I copied famous works like those by Franz Marc or visions of Venice. While I was doing my A-levels in art, I went to every museum show possible. After making my first steps in the business world, I moved to New York as I wanted to add some experience to my first two courses of study. In the summer of 2001, I enrolled at NYU to study art administration. I also got an internship at the renowned non-profit space White Columns, and immersed myself in the local art scene. Experiencing art and working with professionals really helped me to navigate through the overwhelming New York art scene.

I strongly believe that doing and creating have always been more valuable for me than just reading and listening. Theorie vs. Praxis, as we say in German. Internships and project experiences helped me find the kind of work I wanted to do. After New York came an internship at Boris Abel Kunst, then work at C/O Berlin, followed by a job at Asperger Gallery, then one at Alexander Ochs Berlin/Beijing. In 2006, I was ready to strike out on my own and founded my PR agency. As a lover of photography and avid photographer myself – this quickly became the focus my activities: promoting photography exhibitions for galleries, museums, and artists. During the early years, I often accepted art pieces as part of my payment; later, I bought art that “spoke to me” – at art fairs, during studio visits, even at flea markets. I have also received work from artists as a token of appreciation for my services. So you could say that art collecting came with the job, or is a pleasant side effect of my PR work.

Photographer Olaf Heine, Press Officer Nadine Dinter and model Maik Eichhorn, Galerie IMMAGIS, 2018, Photo: Michael Tinnefeld

What is your earliest memory of photography art, and what led you to start collecting it and promoting it?

Photography has always been a passion of mine. As a teen I started taking pictures using an old Praktica I inherited from my grandfather, and I loved visiting the few photography galleries that were around in the nineties in Berlin. Rare works at Kicken gallery in Berlin-Mitte, high-fashion photographs at CAMERA WORK in Charlottenburg, as well as the fantastic Helmut Newton retrospective in 2000 at Neue Nationalgalerie are three highly memorable shows from the early years.

The reason I started collecting and promoting art came from my strong desire – or even need – to have art in my private and professional life. And photography, with its exciting history, captivating works and protagonists, plus my own photographic work, seemed to be the perfect medium to build the rest of my life on. The rest is history…

How would you describe yourself as a photography PR specialist?

24/7, passionate, professional, open, ambitious, well-connected, a healthy mix of outgoing and discreet, eager to constantly learn about the classics while discovering the work of new photographers. My motto: Consult, communicate, connect.

Together with the Hilton Brothers Paul Solberg (left) and Christopher Makos (right), Waldorf Astoria Hotel Berlin, 2016, Photo: Dietmar Bührer

What is the main motivation behind your work?

The central aim of my work is to create maximum exposure and media attention for the projects I am promoting. This means international press articles, well-orchestrated press events and openings, and the many visitors activated to come and view the gallery exhibition, museum show, or festival. Personally, I love the feeling of being immersed in the art experience. It’s also immensely rewarding to be at an opening and to see the happy faces of the client, the artists, and the visitors.

What are the three main qualities an art consultant must have?

Willpower, patience, and connectivity.

What are some dos and don’ts artists should know when working with a consultant?  

Dos: If you decide you want support, then be open, cooperative, and willing to accept advice you might not like at first.

Have a clear vision of what you want, or try to express the essence of your goals as clearly as possible, so that the consultant can pick up on it and build your personalized strategy.

Don’t: Don’t overestimate yourself but also don’t underestimate yourself. Be ready to let go of old habits and to let in fresh perspectives, new ideas, and unusual approaches.

With star photographers Inez & Vinoodh and curator + director of the Helmut Newton Foundation, Matthias Harder, HNF Berlin 2019

During the opening at the Deichtorhallen, with photographer Miron Zownir (left) and his gallerist Bene Taschen (right), Hamburg 2016

As a PR and art consultant, how have you built up your wide network of artists and clients? How has this changed since COVID-19? 

Part of my work is visiting major photography events, such as les Rencontres d’Arles and Paris Photo, but above all, the photography-related events here in Berlin. This is where you see the artists, clients, and curators you already know but also where you get to know new people in the scene, by being introduced to them or by introducing yourself. Going to openings shows their respect, and signals that you, too, are an active part of the scene. Plus you can see the works in person: for me, a digital representation is no match for a live experience.

Since COVID-19, the scene, the personal encounters, and the whole feeling of togetherness have been hit incredibly hard. Otherwise simple acts of meeting in person to talk about art and life, all the little human interactions, not to mention travel – these have all been put on hold. On top of that are the financial woes that have come with the closing of the art spaces.

What is the most recent work of art you added to your personal collection and why?

A beautiful black and white portrait of Alfred Hitchcock, taken in 1970 by Greg Gorman. On the one hand, I adore b/w portraits, and on the other hand, I love Hitchcock’s movies. So two passions are combined in one photograph.

With jazz musician + photographer Till Brönner and photographer Tom Lemke, Berlin 2016, Photo: Steven Kohlstock

Has digitalization changed the way you collect art?

Not really. Although I do read market reports, which inform on what is being auctioned or sold digitally, I am a classic collector who loves to stand in front of an artwork, to get a better sense of its materiality, feel its power; the live experience is what stirs my desire to buy the work.

Where is the future of the art market headed?

This year and last have proven that there are other effective means to show and promote art than “just” exhibitions and fairs. It’s great that novel ways of displaying and selling art are being developed and implemented. But at the same time, the art market seems to be shifting in favor of wealthy, blue chip galleries – at the expense of the diversity of the art scene, which consists of big AND small galleries, institutions and non-profits, temporary project spaces, artist initiatives, and so on. I sincerely hope that the art scene will start recovering soon, and that it will be able to regain its previous energy.

Opening of Berlin Photo Week, with Thomas Kretschmann, Richard Kruspe and Olaf Heine, Chaussee 36, Berlin 2019, Photo: Christian Behring

Instagram Nadine Dinter PR @nadine_dinter
Website: dinter-pr.de

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L i s a  L u k i a n o v a

An exhibition of works by British photographer Cecil Beaton will be held at the General Staff of the Hermitage from 9 December 2020 to 14 March 2021. 

Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) is among the most celebrated photographers of the 20th century. After the Second World War he became the official photographer of the British Royal Court; in 1964 he was awarded an Academy Award for his work on the film My Fair Lady. In 1972 he was honored with the title of Sir. Over a career spanning more than fifty years, he has created a portrait gallery of great personalities, from Hollywood superstars to bohemian artists, from surrealist figures to a young Elizabeth II. Beaton described his main task in portraiture as staging an apotheosis – an arrangement of a spectacular appearance of a person in high society. The exhibition “Cecil Beaton. Celebrating Celebrity” presents over 100 portraits taken by Beaton over the years from the photographer’s studio, the V&A, Vogue magazine and Vanity Fair archives. The focus will be on Russian expatriates who have defined fashion culture and posed for Beaton’s portraits.

PurpleHaze team held a short interview with the creators of the exhibition. So, the questions are answered by Julia Napolova, architect and creator of the architectural bureau PSCulture, and the curator of the exhibition “Cecil Beaton. Celebrating Celebrity”, and researcher at the State Hermitage Museum Daria Panayotti.

Hello Julia and Daria, thank you for taking time for that interview. Let’s start with a first question.Please tell us about the PSCulture Bureau, the projects it is involved in and its creation?

Julia Napolova: PSCulture was founded in 2014. From the beginning, the objectives of the Bureau have been positioned in the field of culture, and since then, the company’s course has not changed. Despite its narrow specialisation, the projects are really diverse: concepts for new museums, design of temporary exhibitions, design of international exhibitions. Each new project gives us a new perspective on the multifaceted nature of the subject we deal with. Following a professional challenge, we have put together a team according to the same principle: everyone at PSCulture has their own unique experience and style. At the moment the bureau is working on projects such as the Regalia of the Moscow Kremlin, the Moscow Planetarium exhibition and the Polytechnic Museum. In 2020, in spite of the pandemic, we opened not only Cecil Beaton in the Hermitage, but also exhibitions about Alexander III in the State Historical Museum and Yesenin in the Literary Museum named after A. Dahl. Dal.

The exhibition “Cecil Beaton. Celebrating Celebrity” was launched at the State Hermitage Museum – a project dedicated to the absolutely legendary twentieth-century photographer. Please share what it was like to organise an international exhibition amidst the pandemic?

Daria Panaiotti: At various stages of the project, the participants were required to show very rare qualities that require great composure: a blind faith that the project will happen and a desperate will to keep working at the same level of mastery; optimism in the face of logistical and other difficulties that at first seem insurmountable; the ability to mobilise quickly and start working at maximum capacity when confirmation finally comes about deadlines and the completion of the various stages of the project.

What exactly fascinated you about Cecil Beaton’s work? And why has he become the central character of this new project? Could the theme of secular photography from the turn of the century be of interest to today’s viewers? 

Daria Paniotti: Beaton can be called one of the creators of the culture in which we all live today: the culture of the celebrities, which is based on an avalanche economy of visual images. We all create our public image with selfies on social media today; Cecil Beaton formulated many rules that remain unalterable to this day. 

At the same time, it is a special challenge for the curator. The terminology relating to fashion, secularism, and public culture is poorly developed in Russian. Beaton is part of the phenomenon of British culture, which is very difficult to explain and with which it is difficult to draw parallels in Russian culture. I found this task very challenging because it was a very interesting one.

What was your main source of inspiration in the visual design of the exhibition?

Julia Napolova: The main inspiration for us was Beaton himself, his personality and approach to his work. Cecil loved unconventional moves, provocation, irony – but his camera idolised its characters. We have tried to express this contradiction through the selection of materials. Lace, as the main leitmotif of the decoration, is meant to stun the viewer with its luxury and glitter, but these stars are just a background for the real, Hollywood stars hidden behind the shimmering curtain. The texture of the decorative plaster references the velvet of the Royal House, with which Cecil has worked for many years. The perimeter display is maintained in a more austere monochrome frame, emphasising the aesthetic of black and white photography.

Tell us about the organisers of the exhibition and the team. How did it come together? 

Daria Paniotti: The Contemporary Art Department team and the Hermitage team, which consists of many professionals in a variety of fields, had a lot of help from colleagues at the British Friends Foundation. I think they were also interested in bringing in such an important name, which for some reason has remained very little known to the Russian public.

Many people say that the Internet will soon replace exhibitions. Aren’t museum exhibitions a thing of the past?

Daria Paniotti: It was very important for us to bring exactly vintage prints to the exhibition; nothing can replace the materiality of an art object and a historical object. We’ll see what the long-term effects of the pandemonium will be. Before it, the example of Sweden’s Fotografiska, an ultra-popular museum that actually takes vivid photography from the pages of creative content aggregator sites into physical space, offering a cultural experience of encountering art, a kind of accessible form of high-end consumption, shows that museums cannot replace the Internet.

What is the portrait of your target audience? In your opinion, what and how can you draw the audience’s attention and interest these days?

Daria Panayotti: The Hermitage is one of the main museums in the country, so we always have a task to work with the widest audience. We have tried to select works and compose texts accompanying the exhibition in such a way that it should also attract people, who actually came to see their favourite impressionists and to look at their works.

How do you think the art world will be in 5-10 years?

Daria Paniotti: I think there will certainly be fewer blockbuster exhibitions, and museums will work more with their collections, discovering new things and rethinking old ones. This trend, even before the pandemic, began to be set when MoMA was reorganised. Museums, even the largest ones, will turn to local, urban audiences. Curators will have to look into the eyes of their audience and learn to apply the good old laws of rhetoric, whereas before it was accepted that the curator would create meanings in cooperation with art, while the spectator was often excluded from this dialogue. In Russia, this means that the language of art talk will change in a major way; it will become more transparent, more accessible, and in big cities, it will have to be done without simplifying the content. In my opinion, a very noble task!

What are the three components of a successful exhibition? What is the best way to attract the attention of a person interested in art nowadays?

Daria Paniotti: I think this will vary greatly from country to country. The content of the exhibition needs to resonate with certain social attitudes (strangely, one of the most popular pieces in Cecil Beaton’s exhibition was a portrait of Aldous Huxley; it is a rich source of thoughts! For the Russian viewer, an introductory text which sets the modus vivendi of the art perception is very important (even if it has to be intuitive, rather than intellectual – it had better be spelled out). And, of course, the very organisation of the exhibition must „draw“ you in; it is clear that just displaying the objects in the showcases is not enough; you have to create an environment that will entice the visitor to stay longer, to extend the physical and social experience of going to a museum.

Instagram PSCulture studio @psculture_studio
Facebook PSCulture studio PSCulture.studio
Facebook Dasha Panayotti dasha.panayotti
Instagram Hermitage Museum @hermitage_museum
Instagram Hermitage 20/21 @hermitage20_21

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I r e n  R u s s o 

Description of the project

Body Editor

photographic project (a series of photographic prints and GIF files)
Link to the full project: ewa-doroszenko.com/bodyeditor

The project was inspired by the failures and bugs in the popular beauty apps, where unnatural bodies get distorted. While the Internet can seem like a place disconnected from the physical world, much of the activity that occurs there deeply affects how we feel outside of it. In the age of social media, technology provides women with tools that allow them to quickly create dream digital images of themselves. Using various beauty applications, they can smooth, contour their faces, whiten their teeth, add a few centimeters of height, enlarge their eyes, choose different mouths, and use many other options. Digitally edited images can serve as aspirational fantasies and occasionally they even can have a positive impact – when they are just effects of joyful entertainment. But can the game in which your body is a battleground be truly enjoyable? The phrase from Barbara Kruger’s iconic work has just as much resonance today as it did more than a quarter of a century ago.

While preparing the project I used photography as a starting point, alongside digital tools to create an expressive project that is both a critique and a celebration of the ongoing progress in contemporary technology and culture. I employed many methods of creating images: preparing three-dimensional collages constructed from free stock images and my portraits, photographing the scenes, printing in large sizes, physically manipulating prints, and digitally editing selected photos. In the final work, I tried to leave visible traces of digital processing, partly revealing my working methods to provoke discussion about contemporary photography.

How did you get into art?

I never doubted that I wanted to be an artist. Even as a child, I heard very often that I am very talented in drawing. Although my interests were quite broad and I liked science very much, the desire to create my own reality through art eventually won. I studied painting, which quickly became a basic medium in my projects, and finally, I got my doctoral degree in fine arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. During my studies, I also began to experiment with a conceptual approach to photography. I started to understand photography not as a single act of liberating the shutter, but as a sequence of resulting actions, which extends from aesthetic choices, the staging of scenes, physical and digital manipulation of images to the final arrangement of the exhibition. Currently, in my work, I use the consonance of many media – from photography to sound. I am constantly fascinated by art and its use as a kind of language.

What does art mean to you personally?

First of all, I try to use art to create new worlds, a reality different from that which surrounds me. Art is also my primary tool for researching and describing the issues of contemporaneity. I am primarily interested in the meaning of the image in technological reality and the fluidity of beauty standards. My artistic explorations are not limited by any medium, either traditional or digital. Trying to express my thoughts, I experiment with various methods and technologies. Whenever I think about creating new works, I try to create structures with multiple layers of meaning. The material choices are calculated and meant to bring on the idea.

Is there a goal you’re trying to accomplish?

Sure, I usually try to have clearly defined goals. Of course, as I grow and respond to a changing situation, I modify my goals. This makes it much easier for me to make decisions. On the other hand, there is a lot of room for experimentation in my artistic activity, so I often don’t know where the whole creative process will lead me. That is why I try to maintain a balance between planning activities and responding flexibly to the situation.

At the moment, together with my husband Jacek Doroszenko, we are working on a new project entitled „Bodyfulness“, which, like our previous activities, is a creative experiment combining sound and visual art. My goal is to release the project this year in a form of the unique music album and present an exhibition which is an audiovisual study of how modern technology and culture change our intimate relationships.

Do you have a life philosophy?

Yes, I have a certain philosophy of life. In a nutshell, it can be described as follows: I try to concentrate my energy on the things that depend on me. If I do something, I want to do it in the best and most professional way possible, regardless of whether my action is appreciated or not.

How do you think the art world will shape in the future?

The ongoing pandemic and simultaneous digital transformation have a huge impact on economic and social development. There are also great changes in the field of culture and art. As reality is increasingly being challenged by the virtual world and technologies are developing so rapidly, I think that in the future artistic productions will become more engaging and interactive. These new approaches and tools will perhaps allow even more artistic freedom, offering completely new creative opportunities, including the possibility of mixing elements that were probably impossible to combine before. I think that in the future, the physical experience of the exhibition will continue to be strong. But galleries will expand significantly in ways that are not just physical, but also digital.

Ewa Doroszenko Instagram: @ewadoroszenko

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I r e n  R u s s o 

Can you tell us about the process of making your work?

Every time the process is a little different. Ideas are everywhere and when one sticks I have to get it out of my head. Sometimes I will set up a photoshoot with a specific idea in mind and other times the structures of an image will lead me completely. Photography is almost always the basis of my work but I still think sculpturally; copying, pasting, layering, and transforming imagery into a new reality.

Sometimes it feels like I work in reverse. Only at the end of the making process when I feel the work is finished I can clearly see the meaning in what I was trying to achieve.

What is your daily routine when working?

I don’t have a set daily routine when working and that is something that I like. Each phase of my art practice has its own routine characteristics, however, in all of my practice the studio must be tidy and clean. This keeps my head empty enough to focus on the art.

Meditation helps me to listen to what is really important, and coffee helps me buzz with ideas whilst listening to the Coffee Jazz playlist…

What was the key influence that led to the development of your process and style?

During a study of advertising, communication and design I realised I was drawn towards the photographic elements of the process. This led me down a different path into the fine art world where I eventually graduated as a sculptor from the art academy.

The choice to switch from the foundation year “Lifestyle & Design” to Fine Art and graduating as a sculptor has been of great value not only for the process but also my style.

What does art mean to you personally? Is there a goal you’re trying to accomplish?

Art is my diary. It is an escape and a release. It is a filter to see the world through. I try to understand myself and the world through art.

Do you have a life philosophy? Does your creative practice fit in with this philosophy?

My motto in life since I was little has been „Then die“ (in response to the question; What is the worst that can happen?) This motto has brought me to special places, has led me to special people and has pushed me to do things that I was initially afraid of. This sounds a little heavier than it actually is because of course I don’t want to die…

I also try to live a healthy life by looking after my body, but also my mind. When they are in balance, the creative work can flow more easily.

However, I am aware that black cannot do without white. There are days when everything goes against the grain, when I don’t understand the world. These “dark” days can also give me inspiration. This makes me wonder what happens when everything is in perfect balance. Could I still make art?

Have you ever had a moment when you questioned your career entirely?

Of course, everyday.

How has covid affected you and your art?

Practically speaking, because of the pandemic my part-time work as a teacher was largely canceled, and therefore, I had all the time in the world with my good old all-time favorite friend; My Art.

It felt like home. I finally had some time to take a step back and see from a distance what I had been doing all these years – only creating, with no real structure or plan. I decided to invest some time in organizing all of that work and create more structure moving forward.

I was also able to create a bit of a platform for my work and communicate with a small but appreciative audience which I feel extremely grateful for, especially during these times.

How do you think the art world will shape in the future?

In the same way it has always done.

What’s next?

I am currently doing research on how I can bring my 2D digital work back into a 3D reality. Next to that, I want to create a solo exhibition with the biggest prints possible.

Instagram Noortje Stortelder: @noortje_stortelder