The film “Discovering the Hermitage” (a joint production of Great Britain, Russia, the USA and the Netherlands) is a ceremonial portrait of the main Russian museum celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, a meticulous and reverent work by the English director Marga Kinmons. Director of the Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky attended the screening of the film at the Documentary Film Centre. A Psychologies correspondent asked him a few questions.
Psychologies: Today, a variety of people, from deputies to Cossacks and Orthodox activists, take on the functions of art critics and show museum workers what kind of art the «people» need. How do you feel during this time?
Mikhail Piotrovsky: There is nothing special in our time. This is such a Russian manner — to always assume that we are now having some kind of extraordinary time, terrible or fateful. Time is like time. I’d say it’s pretty simple right now. All clear. And just when everyone thinks that something allegedly very important is happening, it is necessary to talk about traditional values. Only what? Traditional values are, for example, a museum. Our museum, which lives for 250 years. And for 250 years it has been the pride of Russia — both under the tsars, and under the Soviet regime, and after the Soviet regime. And in all eras, it annoys someone with something — either because it is imperial, or because it is state, that it does not die, but lives and has turned over the past 20-30 years into a global, world museum. So the holiday is a good occasion to talk about its history and its role today. Yes, we see the tantrums of the outcasts that you are talking about from all sides. Pseudo-Cossacks are one side, the Mizulins-Milonovs are the other, left-wing activists who dream of desecrating some monument of art, writing some slogan on it or drawing a penis on the bridge are the third. In fact, for them, for all, certain established traditions are disgusting. Because they do not find a place for themselves in them. But in fact, a museum is a space where there is a place for everyone: both for the most ordinary people and for snobs, everyone can find something for themselves. The Hermitage is literally a place of solitude (fr. ermitage — “place of solitude”), where you can be alone with yourself and try to find answers to some deeply personal questions.
- Ekaterina Andreeva “Postmodernism. Art of the second half of the XX-beginning of the XXI century»
Nevertheless, we are now living in an atmosphere of information warfare, aggression and intolerance. And art always speaks of a complex person, of a complex world…
MP: The Qur’an reminds us that the loudest voice is the voice of a donkey, and it is also the most nasty. But the voice of art must still be heard, it must be listened to. I still think it’s heard. The territory of art is a special territory where you can do a lot of things that you cannot do outside. The nudity in the museum is art. Outside, on the street, it will already be perceived differently. But this does not mean that the criteria of the street should come to the museum. The museum tells this, and this explains that there are complex things and on the territory of the museum it is impossible to approach them differently. Politics, momentary — nothing compared to the museum, which turns 250 years old. We have a staircase called Soviet. It was called that before the Soviet regime, and during it, and after it. And it was named so because at one time it led to the premises of the State Council of the Russian Empire. Here’s what the museum is about. The words are the same, but the meaning is different. It is necessary to try to show, explain, sometimes quite sharply. You can’t come from the street and say: “I don’t like this, take it away!” The museum is a temple, and it has its own rules. And I decide here, not you! If you don’t like it, leave, it means that this is not your temple. Right now we are opening the «Manifesta»*. There are many works on the Manifesto where the author wants to say one thing, but in fact they can evoke completely different associations, this is completely normal. She again can provoke someone’s indignation. But it is the museum space that should show the insignificance of these hysterics.
And why exactly does contemporary art evoke such passions?
MP: Nothing like this. Everything inspires passion in us! For example, the Hermitage is currently hosting another huge exhibition — «At the Court of the Russian Emperors». All the ceremonial halls are filled with historical costumes — costumes of emperors, personalized costumes of servants, personalized costumes of courtiers. This also irritates someone: they see something monarchist, imperial, and so on in this. And the Hermitage is both that, and another, and the third. Both history and art. Modern including. It is annoying because it is considered incomprehensible. And in this, to a large extent, there is also the fault of the figures of contemporary art, who, trying to make it academic, begin to speak an abstruse language that is incomprehensible to absolutely no one. In fact, contemporary art is real, good, cheerful, it plays with forms, completely new techniques, approaches. It has a lot of philosophy. It makes people think multidimensionally. And since it has not yet been covered by authorities (like classical art, about which volumes have been written), you can read your own meanings in it.
You have been managing the Hermitage for so many years, does it seem that you, a seasoned fighter, are not afraid of anything?
MP: No, I’m not a fighter, I’m a historian. Of course, there is no escape from emotions, but I try to look at everything that happens from a certain historical perspective, in a broad temporal context. Then many problems seem trifles. A man of culture understands that twice two is not always four, but sometimes five. This is the understanding that culture should educate. I think that it educates, in fact.
* The European Art Biennale is the premier exhibition of contemporary art, taking place every two years in a new location.