The Professional Avdei Ter-Oganian

Overview

What if there will be the Last Judgment for artists? Will the decision of the Last Judgment coincide with the conclusion of the Russian court, which doomed the artist to 20 years of exile? As a child, Avdei Ter-Oganian was fascinated by the works of avant-garde artists. So, the harder he tried to be the professional in the field of avant-garde art, the more critical and provocative he seems to be. But his colleagues, artists, who often became objects of Avdei’s provocations, and even representatives of authorities tolerated him. But once, during Moscow's Art Manege Fair in December 1998, Ter-Oganian conducted a scandalous performance: with a hatchet, he destroyed several icons - cheap objects, one he painted over with a profanity. His performance caused public protests towards his mistreatment of these icons, although they were just objects sold for tourists as souvenirs on the streets. As the scandal grew, Ter-Oganian's exhibit was closed, and further performances were prohibited.