In Memoriam Timur Novikov

In memoriam Timur Novikov

On Thursday, May 23rd, 2002, Timur Novikov died at the age of 44 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was an artist, writer, theoretician, teacher, and the catalyst of the St. Petersburg artscene for almost two decades.

Since 1977, Novikov was part of the former inofficial Soviet art scene. He was a member of the inofficial group “Letopis” (Chronicle). In the early 1980s, Novikov founded the New-Artists-Group, which was one of the first federations of artists based on aestehtic criteria and whose goal was the integration of art and life. In 1986, he co-founded the “Friends-of-Majakovsky“-Club. In 1990-1991, he launched the neo-academism movement. In 1993, he founded the “New Academy of Fine Arts” in St. Petersburg. Neo-academism is strongly influenced by the heritage of classicism and the beauty of the body. Under the leadership of Timur Novikov, it became the most evident and internationally recognized movement of St. Petersburg art in the last decade.

Timur Novikov participated in numerous group shows in Russia and abroad. His had solo exhibitions in, among other things, the Museum Moderner Kunst/Palais Liechtenstein (Vienna); Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf; Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam); Mücsarnok Art Hall (Budapest); Center of Fine Arts (Miami); Frederic R. Weismann Art Foundation (Malibu); Espace Monjouart (Paris); the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).