Peter Belyi – Russian artist, born in 1971 in Saint Petersburg (Leningrad).

Works mainly with site specific installation and object.

The early steps of his career were connected with graphics. Since 1999 he is a member of The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (UK).

The installations of 2003-2008 are revealing the concept of “memorial modeling”, where the artist appealed to the certain models, especially in architecture. (SH854 (2005), Danger Zone (2006), Pinocchio`s Library (2008) etc.).

“Peter Belyi looks not to the future but to the past in his “memorial modeling”. A paradox: modelling that looks backwards. That very phrase, “memorial modeling”, is an oxymoron: it is an art that brings together two opposing concepts, forming an impossible combination. On the one hand the model is always aimed at the future, it is a priori futuristic; on the other hand, in the work of Peter Belyi it is also commemorative. The model is experienced nostalgically as a design that is doomed”. “Memorial modeling” installations include no anthropomorphic figures, no human subjects. Peter Belyi`s installations give form to traces of memory. (Olesya Turkina, Victor Mazin, 2008).

The author keeps developing the subject of the aesthetic quality of the universal melancholy, destruction in the further works.


Peter Belyi is also known as a curator, founder of the ongoing non-commercial independent art research project LUDA gallery (the artist-run independent space, working in St. Petersburg since 2008).

His curatorial practice is mostly focused on archives and on researching regional independent art in Russia and around the world and discovering new, previously unknown artists and communities of practice. 

Among the significant curatorial projects one may mention the exhibition “Brotherhood The New Blockheads” at MMoMA (Moscow Museum of Modern Art, 2016), Kunsthalle Zurich (2019) – which was mentioned as one of the best shows of the year by ARTFORUM, the exhibition catalogue Brotherhood The New Blockheads (MMOMA) was listed as one of the best publications at ARTFORUM 2016.

In 2014 Peter Belyi together with Alexander Terebenin achieved the National Prize “Innovation” for the two-part project “Signal” - an extensive exploration of independent art mounted inside the ex-secret Construction Bureau “Signal” at Kima Prospect in St. Petersburg in terms of the unofficial parallel program to Manifesta 10.

Awards

2014

  • The State Prize for Contemporary art “Innovation”, with nomination "The Best Curatorial Project" (together with Alexander Terebenin, the project "Signal")

2011

  • Krasnoyarsk Biennale Award, the project "The Red Meteorite"

2010

  • Sergey Kuryokhin Contemporary Art Prize, with nomination as "The Best Visual Artwork"
  • Kandinsky Prize, long-list "Project of the year"

2009

  • Kandinsky Prize, long-list "Project of the year"

2008

  • Kandinsky Prize, long-list "Project of the year"

2005

  • Novosibirsk Print Biennale

2003

  • Birgit Skiöld Prize – National Print Exhibition

2002

  • Gavin Graham Gallery Award – National Print Exhibition

2000

  • Galleries Magazine Award – National Print Exhibition
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Primary solo exhibitions

2019

  • "Short circuit". Exhibition Hall of the Library of Artists’ Books, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Layer". Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2018

  • "Obscure light". Roxi Ciocca, Milano, Italy
  • "Course". Galleria Pack, Milano, Italy
  • "My neighborhood". MiArt, Milano, Italy
  • "Poin on the horizon". Perm Museum of Modern Art (PERMM), Perm, Russia

2017

  • "Anatomy of the cube". Borey Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "King of the hill". Anna Akhmatova Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Axonometric projection", Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Unnecessary alphabet". Ground Peschanaya, Moscow, Russia

2015

  • Memorial Modelling. Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington D.C, USA
  • "Zubya". St. Petersburg Museum of avant-garde (Matyushin's House), St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Resistance is useless". Street Art Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

2013

  • "Free Fall". Chetvert, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Red logs". Museum of Political History, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Course". Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2012

  • "Tower of hope". Krasnyi Treugolnik, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Art not for all". Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia

2011

  • "Springboard", XL Gallery, Moscow, Russia
  • "Pause (The spring formula), Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Room of an outcast". Modernariat Gallery, St Petersburg; KultProekt, Moscow, Russia
  • "Red meteorite". 9th International Krasnoyarsk Biennale, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
  • "A4. The working materials", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Territory of light". Krasnoye Znamya Cultural Center, Alliance Francaise, St. Petersburg, Russia

2010

  • "Silence". PERMM (Perm Museum of Contemporary Art), Perm, Russia
  • "Forest". Frants Gallery Space, New York, USA

2009

  • "Silence". Galleria Pack, Milano, Italy
  • "Untitled". C.A.G Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2008

  • "Bad news". Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
  • "Pinocchio's Library". Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Pinocchio's Library". Galleria Pack, Milano; Daneyal Mahmood Gallery, New York, USA

2007

  • "Lenproekt". The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Minute of silence". Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Memorial modelling", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Danger zone". Daneyal Mahmood Gallery, New York, USA
  • "Unnecessary alphabet". Anna Frants Gallery Space, New York, USA

2006

  • "Climatic zone". Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Krug 2". Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Unnecessary alphabet". Belka & Strelka Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2005

  • "My neighbourhood". 1st Moscow Biennale, Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
  • "Privatization of the chimneystack". New Realms Gallery, London, UK
  • "SH854", Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia

2004

  • "Metaphorical slide-tower". Pinacoteca Udine City Museum, Udine, Italy
  • "Ideological anthill". The Manege Central Exhibition Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia

2003

  • "Dream of a Triron". Anna Akhmatova Museum at Fontanka House, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Dreams of a concierge". Navicula Artis, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Head of the artist". Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Public exhibitions

2023

  • "That is no country for old men", Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia

2017

  • "St. Petersburg contemporary art". Pyarnu and Tartu, Estonia
  • "Silent voices". Museum of the history of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Romance with the revolution". ACC Galerie Weimar, Weimar, Germany

2016

  • "Unmotivated rejection". Pro Arte Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

2015

  • “Provenance”. Exhibition for 15th anniversary of Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "ON MY WAY", in terms of the parallel program to the Venice Biennale for Contemporary Art, Ca Foscari University, Venice, Italy

2014

  • "Signal". The former Construction Bureau “Signal”, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Beyond zero". Calvert 22, London, UK
  • "Crystallizations. Contemporary art from St. Petersburg". Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art (WAM), Turku, Finland

2013

  • "More light", main project of the 5th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia

2012

  • "The shadow of time", Tsaritsyno Museum, Moscow, Russia
  • "Futurologia". Le voyage à Nantes, Nantes, France
  • "In absollute disorder". Arts Santa Monica, Barcelona

2011

  • “2001 – 2011. Chapter 1”. 10th years anniversary of Marina Gisich Gallery, Marina Gisich Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Russia Povere", Galleria Pack, Milano, Italy
  • "Pause". Yekaterinburg Centre of Contemporary Art, Yekaterinburg, Russia

2010

  • "HomelessHome". Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
  • "Futurologia". Garage Center for Contemporary culture, Moscow, Russia
  • Exhibition of the Kandinsky Prize nominees, Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
  • "Au Present". Passerelle Centre d’art contemporain, Brest, France

2009

  • "Russia 21". Viktor Pinchuk Art Centre, Kyiv, Ukraine

2008

  • "Russia Povere". Perm Museum of Modern Art (PERMM), Perm, Russia
  • Exhibition of the Kandinsky Prize nominees, Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia

2007

  • "Architecture: Ad Marginem. The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "Border state". 2nd Moscow Biennale, Mars Gallery,Moscow
  • "Sometging about power". 2nd Moscow Biennale, L Gallery, Moscow
  • "Observatory". Astronomic museum of the Pulkovo astronomic observatory (headed by Russian Academy of Sciences), St. Petersburg, Russia

2006

  • "Modus R: Russian Formalism Today". Special project in terms of Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami, USA

2005

  • "Post Modellismus". Krinzinger Projekte, Vienna, Austria
  • "Collage in Russia". The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

2004

  • The annual summer exhibition, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

2003

  • The National Printing Graphics Exhibition, London, UK
  • "The stuff". "Blok's shirt". ProArte Insitute, St. Petersburg, Russia

2002

  • The National Printing Graphics Exhibition, London, UK
  • The annual summer exhibition, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
  • "Discerning Eye". Mall Galleries, London, UK

2000

  • The contemporary printing graphics. Barbican Centre, London, UK
  • The national exhibition. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK

1999

  • "200 years of litography. The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • "The ING Discerning Eye". Mall Galleries, London, UK

1998

  • "Music in graphics". The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

1996

  • The National Printing Graphics Exhibition, London, UK
  • The contemporary printing graphics. Barbican Centre, London, UK

1992

  • Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol, UK
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Collections

  • PERMM Museum for Contemporary Art, Perm, Russia
  • Duncan Family Collection, Lincoln, USA
  • Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK.
  • Ashmolean Museum, RE Diploma collection, Oxford, UK
  • Murmansk Art Museum, Murmansk, Russia.
  • The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • The Margulies Collection, Miami, USA
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Education

2000

  • Camberwell College of Art, London

1992

  • Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy

1989

  • Leningrad Secondary Art School (headed by St.Petersburg Academy of Arts)
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