Alexander Brener

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Alexander Dawidowitsch Brener ( Russian Александр Давидович Бренер , scientific transliteration Aleksandr Davidovič Brener ; * 1957 in Alma-Ata , Kazakh SSR ) is a Russian action artist.

biography

Brener was born in Almaty. He studied philology and emigrated to Israel from the Soviet Union in 1989 . There he worked first as a journalist, later as a performance artist .

From 1992 to 1996 he lived in Moscow , where he worked as a painter, poet and critic. His noteworthy, or at least sensational, actions consisted of defecating in front of a painting by Vincent van Gogh in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow , having sex on public streets and destroying works of art.

In 1997 he was arrested after painting a green dollar sign on the picture Suprematisme by Kazimir Malevich in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam . At the hearing, Brener said in his defense:

The cross is a symbol of suffering, the dollar sign is a symbol of trade. From a humanitarian point of view, the ideas of Christ are more important than those of money. My act was not directed against the picture. I see my act more as a dialogue with Malevich.

He was convicted and served a prison term during which he wrote his work Obossany Pistolet and summarized his position on his actions.

He works with the Austrian artist Barbara Schurz ( "Art Terrorists" ). As artist couple Barbara Schurz & Alexander Brener they were represented at the 49th Venice Biennale 2001.

Works (selection)

Brener is the author of a total of over 20 books.

  • Grudim (1993)
  • My vagina (1993)
  • Chlamidiosis (1994)
  • Obossany Pistolet ("Pissed Pistol", 1997)
In collaboration with Barbara Schurz

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Brener, Alexander
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brener, Alexander Dawidowitsch (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian action artist, book author
DATE OF BIRTH 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Alma-Ata , Kazakh SSR