OBMOChU
The Organization of Young Artists ( OBMOChU ), Russian ОБМОХУ; Общество Молодых Художников OBMOChU; Obschestwo Molodch Khudozhinkov was a Russian and Soviet artists' association, which was in the founding phase as OBMOLChUD in autumn 1919 and appeared for the last time in 1926.
The group is particularly known for its art exhibition, 2nd OBMOChU exhibition , organized in Moscow in 1921 , at which Alexander Rodtschenko , the Stenberg brothers , Karl Ioganson and Konstantin Medunetzki exhibited their “constructions” in a separate room. It was the first major exhibition by the later Constructivists .
history
Foundation and first exhibition (1919)
The exact date the group was founded is unknown. However, documents show that the group was in the founding phase at the end of September 1919 under the name OBMOLChUD. At this point in time, a first draft of the statutes had already been formulated, which was, however, revised later. The group is mainly made up of students of the “group without teachers” of the First State Free Artistic Workshops, as well as students of Georgi Jakulow and Aristarch Lentulow . The students of Boris Grigoryev's studio had deposed their teacher, which the school constitution allowed, and now formed a “group without a teacher”. The directors of OBMOLChUD during the founding phase were Georgi Jetscheistow , M. Sapegin, Alexander Naumow , Nikolai Prusakow , Vasily Komardenkow , Sergei Kostin , Alexei Stepanow and Nikolai Denissowski .
From May 2nd to 16th, the first OBMOChU exhibition took place at 11 Roshdestvenka Street, Moscow. The artists Alexander Naumow, S. Swetlow, Nikolai Denissowski, Sergei Kostin, Wladimir and Georgi Stenberg, Konstantin Medunetzki, Vasili Komardenkow, A. Perekatow, A. Samoschkin, Yeremichev and D. Jakowlew took part in the exhibition. Lectures were given by Anatoly Lunacharsky , L. Kamenew, O. Kamenewa, Dawid Schterenberg , Ossip Brik , and Georgi Jakulow.
Support of NARKOMPROS and second exhibition (1920-21)
From September 1920 the OBMOChU was supported by the NARKOMPROS (People's Commissariat for Enlightenment), which had recognized the political potential of the group. The group produced various propaganda posters and street decorations as commissioned work. The group received financial support and was given a studio in a former Fabergé shop at Kuznetski Most 4 ( today No. 10 ), corner of Neglinnaja Ulitsa.
Around 1920-21 Nikolai Denissowski became president of the group, while Wladimir Stenberg was production manager.
The group’s most significant contribution to art history is undoubtedly its second exhibition. This was organized by ISO (Visual Arts Section) of NARKOMPROS and was also its 22nd exhibition. It took place from May 22nd to June 1921. The following artists were invited to the opening: N. Denissowski, M. Eremitzew, A. Samoschkin, K. Ioganson , Wassili Komardenkow, Sergei Kostin, G. Stenberg , A. Naumow, A. Perekatow, N. Prusakow, A. Rodchenko , S. Swetlow, K. Medunetzki and W. Stenberg . This list is probably identical to the exhibiting artists. Karl Ioganson and Alexander Rodchenko were invited to present works at the exhibition, but were not members of the OBMOChU. At the 2nd exhibition, the works of Rodchenko, Ioganson, the Stenberg brothers and Medunetzki were shown in a separate room. It is these photographs of Rodchenko that shape the image of the exhibition today, although other works from different trends were shown in other rooms. It is possible that parts of the exhibition were also housed in the Continental Hotel or were brought there later. At this time the 3rd Comintern Congress was held. However, it cannot be proven whether the works from the 2nd exhibition were actually shown there. Hardly any objects have been preserved from the works, especially the spatial constructions, which were shown at the 2nd exhibition. Only one construction by Konstantin Medunetzki (today in the collection of Yale University ) and the room construction No. 12 by Alexander Rodchenko (today in the collection of MoMA ) have survived. However, the entire space with constructions was reconstructed for the Tretyakov Gallery in 2006 .
Decline and dissolution
In 1926, only Naumow, Prusakow and Borissow belonged to the OBMOChU, who took part in the 2nd film poster exhibition together. The brothers Stenberg and Medunetzki no longer belonged to the group at this point. Further activities of the group are not known.
Contrary to frequent misrepresentations that W. Lobanow brought into circulation in 1930, there were only two exhibitions mentioned by the OBMOChU. There was neither a first exhibition in 1919 nor a fourth exhibition in 1923.
literature
- Alexandra Schazkich: Notes on the history of the society of young artists (OBMOCHU) In: Schirn Kunsthalle (Hrsg.): The great utopia. The Russian avant-garde 1915–1932. Schirn, Frankfurt am Main 1992, pp. 150-155.