KEX RESIDENCE one.

Black Sea Calling / Artist in Residence January 2012: Vasily Subbotin (RUS) 

Live Broadcast 

artist-in-residency overcoming cultural borders  

Participants in the exhibition: Vasily and Stepan Subbotin, art group ZIP (Russia) 

Opening: 03 February 2012, 6PM 

Artist Talk: 03 February 2012, 6.30PM 

Exhibition: 04 February – 15 February (by appointment only, please call 01- 40121-42)

Where? 

KEX RESIDENCY at Gastatelier 4  

WUK Werkstätten- und Kulturhaus, Währinger Straße 59, Staircase 3 / ground floor , 1090 Vienna 

The art group ZIP works and lives in Krasnodar, Russia. The group was created in September 2009 and 

consists of five young artists: Eldar Ganeev, Evgenie Rimkevich, the brothers Stepan and Vasily Subbotin, 

Konstantin Tchekmaryov. ZIP is located at the former Soviet factory called ZIP (which is a Russian 

abbreviation for Factory of Measuring Devices). Mostly, the art-group ZIP works with objects, installations 

and performance. ZIP tries to combine the past and the present in their artworks. Materials, found at the 

factory and dumps, get a new life at the contemporary art space. 

Vasiliy Subbotin was born in 1991, Krasnodar, Russia. He lives and works in Krasnodar and studies at 

University of Culture and Arts, Art Industrial Academy, Krasnodar, Russia. Participant of BLACK SEA 

CALLING, Artist-in-Residence Exchange Program between 9 art institutions based in countries around the

Black Sea and 5 art institutions in Austria in 2012, with a concluding exhibition and publication in 2013.  

Stepan Subbotin born in 1987, Krasnodar. He lives and works in Krasnodar, Russia and graduated from 

University of Culture and Arts, Art Industrial Academy, Krasnodar, Russia.  

Krasnodar is provincial Russian town. Today you cannot find any contemporary cultural institution there. 

Artistic activity is based on activism and self-organization. The old factory ZIP is the place where the group of 

artists decided to rent a space as atelier and experimental art space. They founded the Institute of 

Contemporary Arts KISI which is engaged in social and educational development. The main idea behind KISI 

is to set up a modern contemporary environment in Krasnodar and to establish relations and exchange with 

other regions in Russia, former Soviet Republics and Europe. ZIP art is associated with the Post-Soviet area 

and the problem and challenge of being a  “provincial artist” at this specific location. The art group ZIP is also 

practicing a socio-political actionism. 

The exhibition at Kunsthalle Exnergasse is dedicated to the question of 

overcoming cultural border. It’s not an easy task for the “provincial artist” 

to get involved and integrated into the global cultural space. Basically in 

Russia it happens due to the lack of contemporary art institutions in 

regions. But this can be accepted as the way to stimulate selforganization processes which create a natural cultural environment as 

young artists have lots of opportunities to get information and 

communicate to the other art collectives worldwide.

One of the specific selections for this exhibition is Hippie, a series of 

artworks created on pieces of waste and showing a hippie in Slavonic 

iconographic style. The portrait is duplicated on different materials, using 

different techniques, but with the same colors and proportion. The 

artworks are exhibited in a public space as all the waste used for these 

art pieces was also public. Because of these reasons, this symbol of 

freedom - Hippie - returns today, at the time of global consumerism 

philosophy erasing national identity, as well as moral. Past exhibitions of ZIP:  

2011 "Laboratory". The exhibition center "Projekt_Fabrika", Moscow 

2011 IV International Biennial of Contemporary Art, special project "Media Strike". ARTPLAY, Moscow 

2010 Project "Ltd. SOUVENIR". WINZAVOD Contemporary Art Center, Gallery "ZHIR", Moscow 

2010 II Moscow International Biennale for Young Art "Qui Vive?" Project GLOB (E) SCAPE. ARTPLAY, 

Moscow 

2010 First Southern Russian Biennale of Contemporary Art, Center for Contemporary Art "Tobacco Factory", 

Rostov on Don 

2010 Project "Another" gallery "Nepokorennykh 17", St. Petersburg  

ccgroup.livejournal.com