The protagonists of this exhibition are Ima Montoya, artist from the Basque Country, and Russian creative team of photographers Valera and Natasha Cherkashin. For many centuries, Spain and Russia were closely connected in various areas, and even the width of railway tracks is the same in both countries. It is not by chance that the current exhibition project is entitled «Passage»: in a sense, it is a «change station» between two underground systems, two cities, and two cultures. The artists descended into the depths of Moscow and Bilbao in order to understand themselves and each other better.

Valera and Natasha Cherkashin have long been witnesses of significant events in modern history, such as Perestroika, Olympic movement, and advent of the unified European currency. One of their favourite subjects is the imagery of the underground space that, in their photographs, reveals a complete set of characteristic marks of different cultures. Often Valera and Natasha organize joint exhibitions with artists who share their interest. For example, in February — March 2008, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art hosted the «Metro in Art & Art in Metro» exhibition prepared by Cherkashins together with Marianne Ström, Swedish artist and art historian.

This time, the Cherkashin duet collaborates with Ima Montoya whose oeuvre is well known to the Moscow audience. In the fall of 2008, Ima’s personal show was open at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, in the same halls that contained works by Cherkashins a few months before. Ima Montoya’s source of inspiration is the crowded contemporary city with its vast spaces, frantic rhythm, and perpetual motion. Ima’s painting is spontaneous and very sincere, inventive in the selection of materials and extremely expressive in colour. In all her pictures, there are people (although some of them faceless), and the spectator can almost physically feel their mood.

The Moscow metro — «underground palaces» famous all over the world, and the young Bilbao tube designed by legendary Sir Norman Foster. Photography and painting united in one exhibition. Close interests of Russian and Spanish artists and, at the same time, their individual perception of similar subjects. All of the above signifies that in today’s world it is possible to be cosmopolitan without losing one’s identity.

Press accreditation via the press office of the WINZAVOD Center for Contemporary Art
Ekaterina Mochalina: +7 926 537 5760, pr@winzavod.ru