[spectre] sad news

[Kathrin Becker]

On Thursday, May 23rd, 2002, Timur Novikov died in 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 and became
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, with the goal of
integration of art and life. In 1986, he was co-founding the
"Friends-of-Majakovsky"-Club. In 1990-1991, the neo-academism movement was
actively formed by Timur Novikov, and 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 concept of 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,
and, among others, he had solo exhibitions in Museum Moderner Kunst/Palais
Liechtenstein, Vienna; St=E4dtische Kunsthalle D=FCsseldorf; Stedelijk Museu=
m
Amsterdam; M=FCcsarnok Art Hall, Budapest; Center of Fine Arts, Miami;
=46rederic R. Weismann Art Foundation, Malibu; Espace Monjouart, Paris; the
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

Kathrin Becker