The Odesa Art Museum purchased a painting by Rothko using funds from the "Mrazli" club.
The Odesa National Art Museum has added a painting by Alexander Roitburd from a controversial series to its collection. The funds for its purchase were raised by members of the "Madmen" club. According to former museum director, Alexandra Kovalchuk, there were initial disagreements about the artwork, but eventually, the necessary amount was collected.
The Odesa National Art Museum acquired a painting by artist Alexander Roitburd, which belongs to his controversial series of works. The funds for the purchase were collected by members of the "Crazy People" club.
According to former museum director, Oleksandra Kovalchuk, one of the museum's friends and members of the "Crazy People" club, decided to sell a work by Roitburd from this series, which contains explicit scenes. He sent a photo to the current museum director, Katya Kulay, who offered to buy the painting.
The money was collected among the members of the "Crazy People" club. Ковальчук noted that it was challenging, as opinions about the artwork differed. Some considered it too provocative, while others wondered if a different piece from another series would be more suitable. In the end, they managed to collect 70% of the total amount, and the owner of the painting reduced the price by several thousand dollars. The final value was not disclosed.
Before the purchase, it became clear that the painting depicted vaginal penetration, not anal penetration. It was specifically the image of anal sex from this series that the members and deputies of the opposition bloc used on banners against the appointment of Roitburd. The museum director hesitated and consulted with her colleagues. Art historian, Yulia Vaganova, responded: "Sasha, Katya, don't worry, you'll be silenced and punished for this and that."
According to Kovalchuk, the artwork was created for an exhibition against censorship, and the provocative content was an important artistic statement. She believes that Roitburd, as a key Odesa artist, should be represented by different periods and series. The acquisition of the painting is not only about adding to the museum's collection, but also about preserving the memory of the conflict with the Opposition Bloc. Kovalchuk views this conflict as part of Russia's hybrid war, which is aimed, in particular, at preventing the development of a strong Ukrainian cultural institution in Odesa.