2015 » Russia » Section of Countries and Regions

Meyerhold's Dream

A Big Man is sleeping. He is breathing steadily under his enormous blanket. His giant figure barely fits in the room’s space. He is cramped. He is Meyerhold.1

The Big Man Meyerhold: at a specific time and in a specific place. On 29 September 1933, at 3:42am. Moscow, 12 Brusov Lane, apt. 11. Autumn; it is drizzling outside. One hundred and one days before the production of The Lady of the Camellias, five years before the theatre was ordered closed down, and six years before his arrest.

This is an invitation to explore the fragility and sacrality of substance, and to move through it into a unified cosmic dream. This is a penetration into an unstable moment that can almost be felt and that is ultimately saturated. A moment that lasts forever. But everything is ready for change. The border of the unknown and mysterious is being blurred. The element of weather outside and the element of the giant individual inside. Meyerhold is incommensurate with the world he has come into.

What do you feel looking at his dream? Do you feel his breath, his warmth? Is something changing in the atmosphere because of your presence here? Do you think he can feel your breathing?

1 Vsevolod Meyerhold – director-reformer, actor, educator, theatre researcher, creator of the acting technique called “biomechanics”.

Exhibiting artists / ateliers

• Полина Бахтина (Polina Bakhtina)

* 1982, Moscow
Specialization: costume designer, scenographer, Illustrator
Education: Moscow State University of Printing Arts
Teaching activities: Сo-curator of theatrical design course at the British Higher School of Design in Moscow
Participation in other important exhibitions: “Season’s Totals” annual stage design exhibition, New Manege, Moscow, 2010, 2011, 2014; exhibition of scenic artists, 1st International Youth Theatre Forum, Chisinau, 2012
Continuing collaboration with directors: I. Vyrypaev, Y. Kvyatkovsky
Awards: Winner of the “Breakthrough” awards in the category of “Best Young Artist of Dramatic Theater” (Saint Petersburg, 2014); First Prize at the Textura Festival for “Cops on Fire”, Perm, Russia, 2011 / Artemiy Troitskiy Steppenwolf Award (Moscow, 2010); Finalist at the CJ Picture Book Festival, Korea Foundation Cultural Center (Korea, 2011)
; Russian Team at Young Cannes Lions (Cannes, 2006, 2008); Golden Prize at the 15th International Moscow Advertising Festival (Moscow, 2005)
Additional information: Scenographer, art director and illustrator. Works primarily on experimental theatre productions and contemporary plays, aiming to bring fresh and unsusual approaches from related artistic disciplines.
• Ян Калнберзин (Yan Kalnberzin)

* 1975, Moscow
Specialization: media artist, visual artist
Education: Moscow State University of Aviation Technology
Collaboration with theatres: “Agatha is coming home” (Praktika Theatre, 2010); “The Golden Cockerel” (Bolshoi Theatre, 2011); “A Doll’s House” (Theatre Priyut Comedianta, Saint Petersburg, 2013), hip hopera “Cops on Fire” (Mayakovsky Theatre, 2010); “Dorian Gray
Teaching activities: Creator and teacher of the interactive TouchDesigner programming course
Awards: “Cops on Fire” took first prize at the Texture film and theatre festival in Perm, Russia.
Additional information: Video and media artist. Currently involved in the creation of videos for theatre productions, dance performances, and interactive multimedia installations. A founder of the multimedia art company “Russian Visual Artists”.