1967 was born in Moscow
1984 graduated from the Theatre Art School at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow
1988-98 lived and worked in Paris
Lives and works in Moscow

The experience of working in international art and fashion-projects inspired Georgiy Ostretsov, after his return from Paris, to make the artistic-political project of the "New Government" – of the utopia of art as an active, although not always simple, like in utopia, political power. Various political, social and aesthetic phenomena are made into themes by Ostretsov in bright, easily read images of the NG. Agents of the NG, hidden behind masks, are effective and lack the usual human desires; they embody the mechanism of power. The artist manages to preserve the provocative ambiguity of his whole project and to remain in an invulnerable position of independent social criticism, invariably quick witted and precise. The large canvases and installations are executed in the aesthetics of comics, mixed, as it were, with the accidental intrusion of the street, which spoils the totalitarian message with its colourful blotches and dirt. The phantom world of Georgiy Ostretsov reveals the simple mechanisms of power, the levers of manipulation of mass consciousness.



SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2007
Repair. Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow

2006
Physicians and Poets, or Sex in the City. (Together with G. Litichevsky), M. Guelman Gallery, Moscow
IV Ceremony of Granting the New Government's Order "Silver Badge of Honor" to the Best People of the Russian Federation IV. "Praktika" Theatre, Moscow
Fusillade of the vices of bureaucracy by the New Government. (Performance), Moscow

2005
Lawlessness. M. Guelman Gallery, Moscow
III Ceremony of Granting the New Government's Order "Silver Award of Honor" to the Best People of the Russian Federation

2004
War. Guelman Gallery, Moscow
Demonstration passed from the British Parliament building to the White Space Gallery. (Performance), London
II Ceremony of Granting the New Government's Order "Silver Badge of Honor" to the Best People of the Russian Federation. (Performance), Russia 2 (Guelman Gallery project for the 1st Moscow Biennale of the Contemporary Art), Central House of Artist, Moscow

2003
I Ceremony of Granting the New Government's Order "Silver Badge of Honor" to the Best People of the Russian Federation. (Performance), S.Art Gallery, Moscow
Rebels. Guelman Gallery, Kiev

2002
Vandals and Generals of the New Government. Guelman Gallery, Moscow

2001
The Phantoms. American Cultural Centre, Moscow
Military Reform. Velta Gallery, Moscow
Antarctic Eden. Contemporary Art in a Traditional Museum festival organised by the Ford Foundation. The Arctic and Antarctic Museum, St. Petersburg.

2000
Diventa la Vittima. Nadia Baldeschi Arte Contemporanea, Venice, Italy
Visitor. State Russian Museum, Marble Palace, St. Petersburg
The New Government. Marat Guelman Gallery, Moscow
The Beauty and the Beast. TV Gallery, Moscow

1998
Father. (Performance), Krai art club, Moscow

1999
Collection #11. Institute of Contemporary Art, Soros Foundation, Moscow.

1997
Noel en Latex (Christmas in Latex), Gay and Lesbian Associations Centre, Paris

1996
Collection of latex costumes and masks. Presentation in the galleries of the 13th arrondissement (Jenifer Flay Gallery, Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery, Gallery Praz-Delavallade, etc.) timed to coincide with the unveiling of the Contemporary Art Centre, Paris, France
Correction. (Exhibition and performance), e. O.f. Gallery, Paris, France

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2007
Dilettante. Center of Contemporary Art Marres. Maastricht, Holland
Artist's Diary. Special project of Marat Guelman Foundation within the 1st Moscow Biennale. Central House of Artist, Moscow
Thaw. 15 years of M. Guelman Gallery. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

2005
Russia-2. White Box, New-York

2004-2005
Russia-2. M. Guelman Gallery, Central House of Artists, Moscow

2003
Annual Report of the New Government. Master Salons of Art-Moscow. The Central House of Artists, Moscow.
Reconnaissance in Art, Forum of Artistic Initiatives. New Manege, Moscow.
Eat the Halfwit: wall mural in the Tretyakov Gallery at Krymsky Val, Modern Trends Department, the Hall of Actual Art.
The Long Stories of Yekaterinburg: international festival of modern art in the urban medium. Exhibition of drawings, Project State Painting. Yekaterinburg.
Art-Klyazma. Project The Unbeatable New Government. Klyazma Reservoir, Moscow Region.
Surrogate; exhibition of young artists, Stop: Who Is It? RuArts Gallery, Moscow.
Exhibition of jewellery, Art and Music in Silver. THT Gallery, Moscow.
Exhibition Frontiers of Childhood; Project Phantoms. Artek Gallery, London.
Exhibition Panoramic View; Project Autobiography. The Central House of Artists at Krymsky Val, Moscow.
Project Art Constitution. Modern Arts Museum, Moscow.
Exhibition New Countdown: Digital Russia with Sony. Project The New Government Against Global Net. The Central House of Artists at Krymsky Val, Moscow.

2002
Freebies-2. Postcards, The Cult Club, Moscow
"Motherland – Fatherland". Forum of Art Initiatives, New Manege, Moscow
Reconstruction Cetinje biennial. Projects Rubber Tower, Lastomer (Pinniped), Shooting Gallery. Cetinje, Montenegro.
Euro group exhibition, Andrei Sakharov Centre, Moscow.
Amelioration, or Art for a Better Life. Project Propaganda Staff of the New Government: Heavenly and Earthly Power. Klyazma Reservoir, Moscow Region.
Moscow Photo Biennial: Project Bulimia. Photo Centre at Gogolevsky Boulevard, Moscow.
A_REAL001 international festival of modern art in the urban medium. Project Impossible Clothes for Every Day. Ekaterinburg.

2001
Among Stuff. Museum of Applied Arts, Moscow
Exhibition in the "Moscow" Hotel (curator – M. Serebryakova), Moscow
Super-Soldier. (Video-installation), "Art for a Time" Group 77, Graz, Austria
"Art as Tourism". Forum of Art Initiatives, New Manege, Moscow
Art Agitation. Marat Guelman Gallery, Moscow
Adaptation. Andrei Sakharov Centre, Moscow.
Amidst Things. Museum of Applied Arts, Moscow.
"Defile" Exclusive Fashion Show in the Cloak-Room group exhibition. Art in actual context. Voenkomat (military recruitment office) fancy dress performance. The Hulk video installation. SALE window installation. L Gallery, Moscow

2000
ARTE, Milan, Italy
Fotofo. (Photography Month), Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Youth Welcomes the 3rd Millennium. (Photobiennale'2000), Central House of Artists, Moscow

1999
Western Europe after the Berlin Wall: The Rape of Europe photo project. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Motherland or Death. Zverev's Art Centre, Moscow

1998
Mama. Natasha Rukhadze Gallery, Moscow
Comics. Moscow Fine Arts Gallery, Moscow
Fashion and Style in Photography group exhibition. Grand Manege, Moscow

1993
Contemporary Art Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey

1992
Manifestation of France's Illustrators. Villeurbanne City Library, Villeurbanne, France

1990
Arte Sacra Biennal, Pescara, Italy

1987
Exhibition of the Hermitage Association of Artists led by L. Bazhanov. 100 Profsoyuznaya St., Moscow
Russian Non-Conformist Art of the 1980s: group exhibition of the Hermitage Association of Artists. CIRC Society, Amsterdam
Assa festival; group exhibition held during the first night of Sergei Solovyov's film Assa, Moscow
Festive Culture. Kashirskaya exhibition hall, Moscow
Exposition and performance in the House of Medics, Moscow

1985 – 1986
Exhibitions with non-conformist artists from the Kindergarten group. Moscow

1985
Flying Cranes exposition of the George&George group (Georgy Ostretsov & Georgy Litichevsky) held within the framework of the 7th Youth Exhibition, House of Artists, Moscow.

The works of Georgy Ostretsov are in the collections of
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
The Arctic and Antarctic Museum, St. Petersburg
The Freud Museum of Dreams, St. Petersburg
as well as in private collections.


Links:
Gosha Ostretsov personal web-site
Photcoverage of the action of G.Ostretsov against the National Center for Contemporary Art / 30.03.2006
Photos of the action of Gosha Ostretsov. Moscow, Febr. 4, 2006

Print version