Self#governing, 2012
Installation view
KW, 7th Berlin Biennale
Berlin (DE)

Self # governing

A Newspaper by Marina Naprushkina Known in Western democracies as “the last European dictatorship”, Belarus became an independent country after the collapse of the USSR. It has been under the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. For years now he has used repression as a political tool against the opposition; civilians are at the mercy of the whims of the military, the Internet is under surveillance, and there is barely any free press. This is arguably the high price that the population has to pay for Lukashenko’s alleged, much-touted “stability” for the entire country.

Marina Naprushkina works in close collaboration with key figures of the cultural and political scene in Belarus in order to strengthen democratic processes in the country. 2011 saw the first edition of Naprushkina’s newspaper, Self # governing, whose aim is to develop future models for Belarus outside of the bloc-building confines of the EU or Russia. The newspaper’s Russian edition was widely circulated in Belarus thanks to the efforts of many activists. The second edition of the paper analyzes the patriarchal, masculinist system of government in Belarus. It shows how women themselves unwittingly perpetuate this model, and possibilities for changing the situation. Considering the recent wave of protest and resistance across the globe, Self # governing can be read – and used – as a guide for daring to think about political alternatives worldwide.

Project partners: Kalmar Konstmuseum (SE); Krytyka Polityczna (PL); Olga Karatch // Nash dom (BY); Marina Naprushkina and Irina Solomatina, Institute of Future// Belarus; Tobias Weihmann (DE)

Self#governing, 2012
Installation view
Kalmar Konstmuseum
Kalmar (SE)

What is sympathy? A well-meaning understanding, with no strings attached. Can there be solidarity without sympathy? And what actually needs to happen for sympathy to turn into solidarity? Solidarity implies a shared responsibility. Solidarity demands action.

For its Solidarity Action Kalmar Konstmuseum joins forces with the 7th Berlin Biennale on a project by Belarusian artist Marina Naprushkina. For us at the museum, it’s about the question—the choice—of what an (art) institution is. Perhaps even more, it’s about what it could be. As an institution we can choose between assuming the role of endorsing the dominant ideology, or seeing ourselves as a forum for public conversation, a platform for discussion. We could be a place to generate an alternative way of thinking.

To be prepared to meet the future, it is critical that we get to know our neighbors in the global community. For us, solidarity with the Berlin Biennale is a given. With Artur Żmijewski’s curatorial concept, it has become an exhibition that shows art’s potential to contribute to the formation of Europe’s common future. It’s a view of art that sees the art institution as not just an immobile commentator, but believes in the possibility of influencing events. It’s about the conviction that we shouldn’t passively observe the changes in the world around us, but that we can work actively as an institution to support democratization processes.

Text by Martin Schibli

Wealth for all, 2011
Installation view “Scenarios about Europe”
Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst,
Leipzig

With the installation, the artist Marina Naprushkina reveals the contradictory juxtaposition of official publicity and the reality of everyday life. She opens up a disturbing view of a selective propaganda in practice. Naprushkina shows parts of a rapid municipal modernization, which primarily serves representative purposes. The construction sites of beautiful new buildings are covered with tarpaulins showing the impressive finished results of large projects – the national library, shopping malls, memorials. From other countries in a similar state of transition she reveals evidence of a restructuring of the system that is often of an extremely dubious nature. The artist took the title of the video, “Wealth for All” from the slogan of Gregor Gysi’s election campaign in 2009. Naprushkina translated three speeches by German politicians (Angela Merkel, Guido Westerwelle, Oskar Lafontaine) and had people in Belarus read them out in front of the camera in their homes or in semi-private places. With pathos, respect for the authors of the texts or attempts to adapt what they are reading to Belarusian reality, the readers of the texts react to the comments that affect them so closely and yet are so far removed from them. Here also, Gysi’s slogan “Wealth for All”, which is meant to apply to everyone in a democratic sense, has no relation to the real circumstances. 
Not only in Eastern and Southeastern areas of Europe, but also in the west, places connected with consumerism, luxury or (supposed) quality are often given the label of ‘Europe’. In Minsk, the capital of Belarus, the newly constructed five-star hotel “Europa” towers above the city centre. Apart from superficialities, however, declarations of a belief in Europe are rare, and depend upon current political wiles. Continue reading →

General plan, 2011
Installation view
The Centro Cultural Montehermoso,
Vitoria-Gasteiz City (SP)

The building of the Soviet society by the work and duty of the architects which gives these ideals a functional form stands in the centre of the project. What did it mean for the Belarusian periphery architects who wanted to assert themselves and were standing constantly in the shadow of the Moscow great architects?

Belarus soviet architecture placed on industrial architecture set an example to the whole USSR. „General plan“ primarily means city planning. But in Belarus they are strongly connected with industrial construction. The planning of most large-scale Plants and enclosed cultural buildings and residential areas stamped the city planning of Minsk and other Belarusian cities.
The Project consists of the video „General plan“, an archive with some working material and a drawing series.
In the video „General plan“ two Minsk based architects, who spent there working life on Minsk reconstruction, tell how the city and the biggest industrial complexes were planned and built by them.
The archive shows historical photos, slides and books about city planning and industrial architecture in the Soviet Belarus; the current shots in the plant buildings show the change of the political and economic system of the country. Furthermore, the archive shows pictures from the 70s and 80s which were taken on the rare „foreign tours“ of the Soviet architects to the Western countries and Asia.
The drawing series is based on the handwritten memories of wife of the architect. The growing up of a gifted boy from the province up to one of the most important and deserving architects of the republic – a story like one of the communist propaganda movies, shown from a very much private perspective. The result is a multi-layered picture where the private and the political melt into each other. And this is a story about hopes, faith and defeats of people who decided „to build“ the communism.

Belarus in figures, 2009-2011
Installation view Drifting Station,
Open Space, Vienna (A)

Belarus in Figures is a serial of diagrams, which are compiled from the numbers taken from the annually statistical reference book „Belarus in figures“. This book provides information on the socio-economic situation in the Republic of Belarus and is put together by the National Statistical Committee, the institution which is a part of the authoritarian system build up by the Belarus government. The figures should give the right and proved information about the agricultural produce, industrial products, education, number of employed, the population size and should provide a very stable image of Belarus State to its citizens. The diagrams done by Naprushkina pretend to be the real official diagrams, a part of state propaganda. These diagrams show the forged results and demonstrate how the state manipulates its institutions.

The coat of arms (KGB), 2011
Installation view
“Opening the Door? Belarus Art Today”,
Zacheta National Gallery, Warszawa (PL)

Office for Anti-Propaganda, 2011
Installation view
“Opening the Door? Belarus Art Today”,
Zacheta, Warszawa National Gallery(PL)

Office for Anti-Propaganda, 2010
Installation view
“Opening the Door? Belarus Art Today”,
Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius (LT)

Eskimo,
2010 Fokus Lodz Biennale
Lodz (PL)

In Lodz the industrialisation of the city took place in the 19th century about big cotton spinning mills and weaving mills. More than 30 such large-scale enterprises stamped the town and were an essential employer for hundred thousands of people. With the transfer of the textile production from Europe to Asia these factories died in the west, the socialist system held many of these companies in Lodz, however, also after the 2nd world war alive. With the introduction of the market economy in Poland even these last factories died. The city has not recovered from it till this day. Marina Naprushkina wakes the former factory Eskimo again to life, by installing a light-box above the entrance, thus as the factory has managed the transformation process of today‘s Poland.

Presidential Elections, 2009
Installation view “Red Thread”, Tanas, Berlin

The president’s platform, 2007
300 x 700 x 200cm
Bad Ems

The president’s platform, 2009
300x 700x 200cm
Antrepo,
11th International
Istanbul Biennial

The President’s Platform (2007) might be mistaken for a minimalist sculpture, but is actually a copy of the platform owned by the present government of Belarus, whose leader is Alexander Lukashenko. For important events the platform is set up, as
a propagandistic instrument to glorify his statesmanship and divert attention from politics. The absurdity of this solitary red pedestal reflects on the excessive use of the term ‘platform’ as an imaginary basis for dialogue and freedom of speech, whilst
at the same time this freedom of speech is stifled in most ‘democratic’ societies. The stage also makes reference to the exhibition as a space where subjects that are otherwise suppressed can be discussed and reflected upon in a way that is beyond real
politics.

Belarus MTZ-50, 2008
Installation view “Friction and Conflict -
cultural influence and exchange in Northeast Europe”
Kalmar konstmuseum, Kalmar/Sweden

During the exhibition a tractor Belarus MTZ-50 was placed in front of the museum building. This tractor was produced more than 20 years ago in the plant “Minsk Tractor Works” (MTW) in Minsk, capital of Belarus. Today about 30 000 peaple work there. The company is the pride of the country. The products are sold worldwide. The countries where the tractor “Belarus” is well-known are Russia, Iran, China and Venezuela. This tractor became a perfect propaganda object.

Belarus today, 2008
Installation view
Mediations biennial Poznan

Belarus today, 2008
Беларусь сегодня
video 4 min.

The Belarusian newspaper “Belarus today”, which formerly titled “The worker” is the Central organ of the state propaganda in Belarus, its production is supported by the administration of the president of Belarus.
In the video five working class people are reading out loud „Belarus today”.  
The artist takes on the role of a curator- the teacher of contemporary ideology of Belarus, the person who organizes an “Information hour” in schools, institutions and working places according to all ideological state instructions.

We are Belarus!, 2007
D. Print
330 x 180cm

The original posters were invented by the national advertising agency of Belarus, produced in a large number of copies and posted up all over the country. The posters aim at creating a new Belarusian identity and supporting a patriotic mentality. Carefully reproduced but placed in a different surrounding by Marina Naprushkina, the deeply propagandistic character of the posters is revealed.

Patriot, 2007
video, 18 min.

The video documents an intervention in public space. Naprushkina buys a portrait of President Alexander Lukashenko in a bookshop in Minsk. Following that Naprushkina crosses Minsk with the president’s portrait and strolls through the biggest streets and over the most important squares of the city; the walk lasts from morning into evening. Back at home the portrait is attached to the wall. The national anthem is played, Naprushkina is standing at attention. The action could be seen as a  response to the article 368, part 2 of the Criminal Code (insult to the President of the Republic of Belarus).

Patriot, 2008
250 x 356cm
Installation view “Where the east ends”
Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden