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| Journey of the Private Moon in the Arctic, video |
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| Private Moon in the Arctic, four light boxes, 2010 |
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| Sky at Shoes Boxes, Moon in Cage, Private Moon on the Bed, Star into Garbage Bag on exhibition Horizon Sky in Moscow Planetarium until 27th April 2013 |
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Leonid Tishkov is a Moscow physician
turned avant-garde artist. His latest project, “Private Moon,” is a series of stylized and sentimental photographs of himself with a large illuminated crescent moon taken at various locations around the world. read more Photo by James Hill for New York Times |
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| Solveig. Landscape of my memory, video installtion, 2004 and Private Moon in New Zealand near Rangitito, 2010 on an exhibition "The blue of Other Beginning" in PROUN gallery in Vinzavod from 12th February |
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THE MAN
AND THE MOON
Leonid
Tishkov may change the way you see the moon forever. His ongoing project,
Private Moon, is a
mobile
installation and visual poem telling the story of a man who met the Moon and
stayed with her
forever.
That man, it seems, could be the wonderfully romantic Russian artist Leonid
Tishkov – literally
living
the performance of a lifetime as he travels the world with his own private
moon. We had a chat
with him
about lonely lunar love, and the power of experiential poetry to unite and
transform.
What are you working on at the moment?
I just
finished my trip of Private Moon in Republic of China Taiwan. Over a month the
moon visited the
strangest
and most unexpected places of Kaohsiung and its surroundings. Last week was the
opening of
an
exhibition Private Moon in Taiwan at Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts. There, in
the park of the
museum,
I built two installations: The Full Moon and The Moon in the Rest at the
Childrens Museum of
Art. Right
now I am building a new light installation for the museum in Siberia, Chukotka,
at the most eastern and northern edge of Russia. The exhibition will be called Fascinated Wanderer. The poetic journey is main theme of my art.
What
initially inspired the Private Moon series?
Ten
years ago I created this installation with the glowing moon at one of the festivals
of contemporary art.
I wanted to make a picture of the reality of my favorite artist – Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte. After that I brought the moon to the roof of my studio on a skyscraper on the South of Moscow, where she shone to me personally, and brightened my loneliness.
What does this series mean to you?
This is
not just a series – it is a performance of a lifetime! I have traveled Private
Moon for ten years and
each
time the moon reveals more space to me. The moon is a shining point that brings
people together
from
different countries, of different nationalities and cultures. And everyone who
gets in its orbit does
not
forget it ever. It gives fairytale and poetry in our prosy and mercantile
world.
Private
Moon is a project that you have carried on for a few years now, how has it
evolved over that
time?
I
initially did this project for myself, then it became public. The beginning was
in Linz, Austria, in 2009,
when I
offered to take anyone to the moon and make a personal light installation where
they live. For
more
than six months the Moon traveled from person to person. Everyone could feel
like an artist,
everyone
could experience a touch of poetry. Also – the object (moon) multiplied…
Arctic Moon consists of four parts – two-meters would not fit to the plane that flies from Tromso to Longirbyuen. Finally, in China this year, it has grown to a full moon!
You have
described this work as a visual poem, and often accompany your images with
poetry too. Which
comes first for you, the words or the images?
Poetry
is born in the image. Before placing a Private moon in a place that I like, I
look at it for a very long
time.
Often this is the place that I see as the basis of the poem. In the first
pictures you see my country
house,
the bed on which I sleep and write poetry, I myself as a lonely poet and
philosopher – in the hat
and
cloak of my departed father. The world is beautiful around us, you just
illuminate it with the light of
poetry!
And for me, the light of the moon is the perfect poetry.
Some Private
Moon images are attributed to yourself and Boris Bendikov – tell us about
working with
other artists…
I
invited photographer Bendikov to shoot my installation and my choice was a good
one. He’s a great
photographer
who works for advertising, and he made twelve great photos. Particularly the
pictures
on the roof of my studio, where I sit in front of the moon and talk to her. After 2005 I worked with other
photographers
or shoot images myself, as the moon travels from New Zealand to the Arctic where
I can
not work
with only one photographer. My friend, artist Marcus Williams, did the perfect
shot in New
Zealand
– under volcano Rangitoto. The Paris series were shot by Tim Parchikov, a good
French-Russian
photographer.
In Taiwan’s story I worked with Chinese photographer Po-I Chen, while in
Austria the
moon was
generally shot by a lot of photographers.
How has
collaboration enriched your art practice?
I am
grateful to everyone who walked by my side as I’m carrying the moon around the
world. You see,
I’m an
artist and a poet, I have no other life but to dance of the dance of the moon
mad dervish. And if
someone
comes up beside me and will dance with me, and if the stars respond to this
dance – then a
miracle
happens – an art is born. And I hope that everyone who danced with me got a bit
of inspiration
for his
work and for his life.
What
next for you?
And then
I will go to the Milky Way. The show must go on!
Photo from Leonid Tishkov Private Moon in Kaohsiung
Photographer Po-I Chen
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
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We brought the light-box And put it on the roof of a school. Po-I fell! It hurt! I watched a proof photo in Moscow by email and chose a composition. I-Ching switched on the light. And miracle happened to a boy from Xsiaolin village: The moon came down to him from Heaven!
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I embrace the moon on a big rock The rock was cast out from the heaven And thrown into the valley by typhoon My embrace is strong and powerful But still unable to keep the fog in my hands as life passed away.
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I wandered on the land of waste things Looking for a lost love Suddenly I saw the light Someone threw the moon as today's unnecessary poetic symbol I picked it up and put in my heart Magic silver light beamed from every pore of my skin Once more once more I'm the moon for you Leonid Tishkov. Private Moon Photographer Po-I Chen Taiwan's Trip of the Private Moon 2012 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts |
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On the shore of this island The army left an abandoned bunker It became a shelter for the moon during the day And a stairway in the night. Her ray is reflected by the empty cooper shell Private Moon by Leonid Tishkov Taiwan trip 2012 Photo Po-I Chen |
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We are
waiting with the moon
For the fishermen
returning late.
Red flags
and the yellow moon
Are reflected
in the sea.
Where is my reflection?
Has it
fled with Chang'e?
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The mountains parted and the moon came out of the clouds. Now my path is clear and straight. But my life may not be long enough To get the lighthouse Where three rivers join together
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The lake filled with peace And me too. I caught a fish but catch the moon. Would stay here forever, But there will come a new scurry day And the moon run away! |
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Autumn swans are all gone.
I am sick at inappropriate time,
Everyone has gone to the moon for a feast.
I ask my close friends
To steal the moon
And hang it on my window.
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The wind and rain making noise all night The sea of fallen leaves around. See the sugar moon in gold waves Jump toward her And surely drown in gold leaf Because I don't know how swim.
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My world is covered by a metal forest And the moon stuck in the rusty trees. Risking my life I will go and release her even if I will die! My barren life in the metal woods.
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Hats, bags
and umbrellas are all for sale
They are
made of straws and almost free!
Buy
something, strange foreigner!
Except
that the moon will be never yours
You can
only take away some moonlight
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Photo Po-i Chen |
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I
returned to my empty home remembering
My
father brought this firewood.
The unused
cold furnace
Was like
my fireless, empty heart.
But the
moon will bring a new fire
To me and
warm me again.
Photo Po-i Chen |
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On the
roof of my run-down home,
There
are houses for birds
At a
higher place I built a house for the moon,
My heavenly friend.
I am happy
to stay on the broken Earth
As long
as the moon does not leave me.
Leonid Tishkov. Private Moon. Kaohsiung. 2012
Photo Po-I Chen
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At the top of the steps of a seaside temple
(How did I get here?) Stray cats treated me as a close friend And my moon, the best friend for all wanderers. Go where ever you want, The moon will never leave you! Leonid Tishkov.Private Moon.Kaohsiung.2012 |
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The moon becomes brighter
Before she rises to the sky.
Which way should I take? By what river will I meet her? An empty boat berthed the quay Looks just like the moon.
Journey of the Private Moon to Formosa
From 13th November 2012, Kaouhsiung
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