MARTA VOLKOVA &
SLAVA SHEVELENKO

MARTA VOLKOVA &
SLAVA SHEVELENKO

About

Marta Volkova & Slava Shevelenko are an artist duo based in The Nederlands.

Collective mythologies and their relationship to reality.

Brief introduction to the work of Marta Volkova and Slava Shevelenko

"The act of the monument is not memory, but fabulation."(Deleuze and Guattari, What is philosophy?)

Marta Volkova and Slava Shevelenko were born in the Soviet Union, that distant country which seems to exist only in history books - if it ever existed - and all their work seems to stem from this legendary beginning. In the era of fabulators, perverse mechanics of alternative facts and ill-intentioned fake news forgers, Marta and Slava are like story tellers: their work is expressed in vast narrative installations where, in their own words, "

objects, images (drawings, paintings, photos), video projections and texts become the actors of a large-scale narration, like a film that one doesn't see on a screen but in which one wanders...”.

Their rich, multifaceted projects like to explore the boundaries between reality and fiction. Using subjects from the collective mythology - the Yeti, the so-called Tunguska meteorite in Siberia - they interweave these with moral, social, philosophical or political metaphors which in turn resonate with the realities of today's world.

But that is not the only way their fables are different from the ranting of all those candidates wanting to manipulate history, some of which, in our own country, operate in broad daylight and on a large scale. Their art - the art of Marta and Slava - is recognizable by a very “Mitteleuropa” form of humour, both in its style as in its references, but above all in its melancholy: somewhere halfway between the pataphysical search for imaginary solutions, Keatons dry humour and the gentle despair of the brave soldier Schwejk. Visually, it is characterized by a breath-taking know-how that allows them to convince with the most offbeat objects - from an authentic flying carpet to insects taking the forms of money ,... - all marked by a constant concern for beauty and by a playful and perfectly timely reflection on the world of art.

Yves Randaxhe, art historian,

curator of the Art Collection National Bank of Belgium.

Born and educated in St. Petersburg (Russia).

In the 80-s active in the avant-garde art scene of St. Petersburg.

Since 1991 living and working in the Netherlands.

Solo Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions
Publications

2023

"Will beauty save the world?", West, institute for contemporary art, The Hague, The Netherlands.

"Siebold's Dreams", museum De Lakenhal, Japanmuseum/Siebold house, Leiden, museum De Schat van Simpelveld, The Netherlands.

2021

"Melancholia", PontArte gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2020

"This is Titian, baby", PontArte gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2019

“The Transylvania Archive”, The Dr. Guislain museum, Ghent, Belgium.

“Strange Games”, ARTTRA gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

2017

“The Transylvania Archive”, The New Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

2016

“The Altai Files”, Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2012

“In Anticipation of Economic Boom”, SCHUNCK museum, Heerlen, The Netherlands.

2009

“The Russian Schizorevolution”, Marres, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2008

“Marta Volkova & Slava Shevelenko”, Palais für Aktuelle Kunst, Glückstadt, Germany.

2007

“Last Day of Pompey”, Society of the Friends of Young Art, Baden-Baden, Germany.

2006

“Dying for the Art”, Post & Garcia gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2005

“Unexpectedly”, The State Museum of Urban Sculpture, St. Petersburg, Russia.

2002

“Ene mene mu...”, Art Agents gallery, Hamburg, Germany.

2000

“Girlfriends and other people”, Angelika Kallenbach gallery, Bonn, Germany.

1998

“Women and Heroes”, Werdermann Art gallery, Hamburg, Germany.

“A terrorist and unknown one”, Kunstfabriek, Potsdam, Germany.

1997

“Cabinet of Mirrors”, Museum Panorama Mesdag, The Hague, The Netherlands.

2023

"Yes, I Do", Nieuw Dakota, Amsterdam.

Art The Hague, The Hague, The Netherlands.

"Sharing Stories", Castle Old Rekem, Belgium.

2022

Art Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany.

2021

Art The Hague, The Hague, The Netherlands.

2020

"Metamorphosis of the memory", The Province house of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

"Beating around the bush #6: Scenes from the Anthropocene", Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 

"Mirrors of Time", Castle Old Rekem, Belgium.

The Limburg Biennale, Marres, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Art object "Border Remover" for the exhibition "Welcome to Leiden". Rembrandt Park, Leiden, Netherlands.

2018

“The uncanny string”, Jan van Eyck Academy, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2014

“Lost Paradise”, Kai 10 / Arthena Foundation, Dusseldorf, Germany. "Coming soon", Bureau Europa, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2013

Installation “About Space and Love” for the show “The Russian Atelier on the Amstel”, Hermitage, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Installation “Paintings about me”, for the show “The Big Change”, Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2012

“The New are coming”, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia.

2010

“Brushstroke”, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

2008

SCOPE Basel with Saatchi Online Gallery.

2007

“Artists of Perestroika”, KIASMA Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland.

2005

“Home Exhibition Project”, for 1st Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia.

2001

“Abstraction in Russia. XX Century”, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

1998

“In my likeness”, The Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

1992

“Contemporary Leningrad Art”, Queens Museum of Art, Flushing, N.Y., U.S.A.

1991

“Geopolitics”, Museum of Ethnography of Nations of the U.S.S.R., Laningrad, Russia.

“Contemporary Leningrad Art”, Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, Pensilvania, U.S.A.

1990

“New Art at the State Russian Museum”, The State Russian Museum, Leningrad, Russia.

“Keepers of the Flame”, Fisher gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

"Marta & Slava selected projects 2009 - 2020", Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld, Germany, 2021.

De Grote Nederlandse Kunstkalender 2019, Rotterdam, 2019.

“Kollektia!”, catalogue, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France, 2017.

Caspar Cillicens, “Met ironie Poetin te lijf”, De Limburger, december 2017.

Marente de Moor, interview Volkova & Shevelenko, NRC, Amsterdam, 7 juli 2016.

Marente de Moor, “De vergeting: een onspoorde geschiedenis”, catalogus van de tentoonstelling “The-Alatai Files”, Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht, 2016.

Thijs Lenssen, “Russen gek door ruimteafval”, De Limburger, 30 juni 2016.

Emile Hollman, “Tussen Nederland en Rusland”, Zuiderlucht, mei 2016.

Ludwig Seyfarth, “An Insect as the Projection of Human Desires and Yearnings”, catalogue, Kai 10 / Arthena Foundation, Dusseldorf, 2014.

“The New are coming”, catalogue, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moskou, 2012.

“The Brushstroke”, catalogue, The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, 2010.

“The Russian Schizorevolution”, VPRO-documentaire op Radio 6, juni 2010.

Domeniek Ruyters, “Avant-garde bric à brac. The Russian Schizorevolutie in Marres”, Metropolis M, Amsterdam, mei 2009.

Andrey Khlobystin, “The Russian Schizorevolution”,Thomas Campbell, “We are living to  late”, Ekaterina Andreeva, “Alternative Museum”, Marres, 2009.

Wido Smeets, “Tussen de berken”, Zuiderlucht, april 2009.

Caspar Cillicens, “Avant-garde aan vergetelheid ontrukt”, De Limburger, maart 2009.

“The Russian Schizorevolution: the reconstruction by Marta Volkova and Slava  Shevelenko”, The Art Magazine, Moskou, april 2009.

Emille Hollman, “Vreiheid in een jasje”, Zuiderlucht, maart 2008.

Tekeningen in Vrij Nederland, 2007.

“Daying for the Art”, catalogus, galerie Post & Garcia, Maastricht, 2006.

“Russen in Limburg”, BBK-krant, Amsterdam, maart 2005.

“Dreams and Miracles”, catalogus, galerie Steinrötter, Munster, 2004.

“Abstraction in Russia. XX Century”, Palace Editions, St.Petersburg, 2001.

Barbara J. Hazard, “Off Nevsky Prospect”, Open Books, Berkeley, California, 1992.

“Moscow – Leningrad – Tbilissi, Voyage á l'intérieur d'une collection particuliére”, catalogue, Theatre d'Angers, Frankrijk, 1991.

The New from Leningrad”, catalogue, Central Exhibition Hall, Budapest, 1990.

“Keepers of the Flame”, catalogue, Fisher Gallery, Los Angeles, 1990.

Jule Reuter, “Gegenkunst in Leningrad”, Klinkhard & Biemann, Munchen, 1990.

“Glasnost”, catalogue, Kunsthalle Emden, Duitsland, 1998.