This video documents the first German retrospective of the St. Petersburg performance art collective, "The Brotherhood of New Blockheads" (1996-2002), held at Galerie BQ in Berlin. The core of the video is an insightful conversation between curators Daniel Baumann and Peter Belyi. Belyi, who rediscovered the group's unorganized archive in 2005, provides context on their work, which was deeply rooted in the post-Soviet chaos of 1990s Russia. The collective's 100+ performances are characterized by absurdity, humor, and a poetic flair, often drawing from Russian absurdist literature like that of Daniil Kharms. The discussion explores the group's non-commercial ethos, their cultural isolation from the Moscow art scene, and the multi-layered meaning behind their seemingly trivial actions. Ultimately, the video frames their work as a profound project on "how to learn to see and think" and highlights the urgent need to preserve their unique archive as a vital piece of contemporary art history.
The Brotherhood of New Blockheads: A Retrospective
3:54 Discovering the Archive: Curator Peter Belyi discusses his discovery of the collective's work around 2005. The group was legendary in St. Petersburg, but their art was not formally archived and existed in a disorganized state, primarily "in a basement."
6:37 The Independent St. Petersburg Scene: Belyi first curated a major exhibition of their work as a parallel program to the Manifesta biennial, presenting them as a perfect example of pure, non-commercial artistic practice, distinct from the mainstream art world.
8:42 The Meaning of the Name: The name "New Blockheads" ("Новые тупые" in Russian) is explained as being intentionally childish and naive rather than aggressive. This served as a form of camouflage and aligned with their absurdist and non-confrontational style.
10:21 Performance as a Way of Life: The collective's primary activity was performance art, with over 100 actions in just five years. Their performances were spontaneous interventions in their urban environment, turning everyday situations into art, as seen in pieces like "Inner Eroticism."
12:11 Artistic and Literary Influences: Their practice is heavily influenced by the Russian tradition of absurd literature, particularly the writer Daniil Kharms. Their work blends this local heritage with an awareness of Western contemporary art.
13:52 A "Tradition of Hiding": The group remained largely unknown outside their local scene due to a complete lack of interest in self-promotion and the cultural isolation of St. Petersburg from the Moscow art world. Belyi describes St. Petersburg art as having a "tradition of hiding" in basements and attics.
17:19 The "Total Freedom" of the 1990s: The collective's work was a direct product of the chaotic and anarchic 1990s in Russia. This period of "total freedom" allowed them to perform anywhere without permission, a stark contrast to the highly regulated environment of today.
19:47 Core Philosophy: Learning to See: Beyond the humor and absurdity, the central project of the New Blockheads was about exploring "how to learn to think" and "how to learn to see," challenging conventional ways of perceiving the world.
20:29 The Urgent Need for Preservation: The artists never sold their work. Belyi makes a plea for a museum to acquire and preserve the entire archive to ensure this unique and important chapter of Russian art history is not lost.