VELIKANOV
Художник
Тексты
Сетевые проекты
Видео
События
Дискуссии
Энциклопедии
NAMNIYAS

english 
Rambler's Top100


HERBARIUM FOR GOETHE
The author of this project is an artist whom complete name consists of 17 words: Andrey Velikanov has refused to participate the project. The project was introduced by Andrey Gagarin (alias Julia Shipilova) instead.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A German writer who is universally acknowledged to be one of the giants of world literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was perhaps the last European to attempt the mastery and many-sidedness of the great Renaissance personalities: critic, journalist, painter, theatre manager, statesman, educationalist, natural philosopher. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

The project consists of two parts: the male and the female. Both parts are independent from each other and do not influence each other in any way. The male part is a 91-object composition, presented to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by Andrey Gagarin, who represents Andrej Velikanov and is in fact Julia Shipilova. The act of sending out the presents, or, to be more precise, their virtual entities, into the WEB-space, is essentially a sacramental sacrifice. All offerings are divided into seven groups, thirteen objects each: flowers, maidens, emotions, fast food, various positions used during the coitus, pet insects, and aeroplanes of the civil airlines fleet such as the AEROFLOT-INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES.

In the moment of the formal electronic mailing of the presents on January 1st, 1999 they become Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, or, to be more precise, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe becomes a 91-piece composition. Starting that date Goethe’s tomb in Weimar (Federal Republic of Germany) is declared invalid.

The female part of the project is top secret and cannot be enounced. However it is the author’s pleasure to declare that the mission of the female part – whatever that goal is – is successfully accomplished. The results are coded in the male part of the project.
Those who disagree that the holy virtual body of the German People’s genius consists of such a few ritual objects, or are not satisfied with the number of groups or their composition are free to change or to supplement the composition interactively. Both graphical and textual suggestions are welcome.
In case the ritual communication sphere develops successfully the project can expand, the interactivity turns into mass hysteria, Goethe into Lev Tolstoy and the horrible sins of Andrej Velikanov, whose refusal initiated such a wonderful project, would probably be forgiven. The latter expects no special gratitude for his deeds. He is well aware of the fact that he lives in a cruel world and in a poor country, although he still anticipates at least some reward for his efforts, like a village vicar who collects a little bit eggs and pork from the parishioners after remitting their sins.

The complete list of ritual presents
(13 groups, each group consists of 7 items):
Gloxinia hybrida Hort.- Violet - hesitation - pizza - donkeys in the third spring moon - ant - Ruslan
Gerbera jamesonii - Eleanor - delight - hamburger - yelling monkey embracing a tree - flea - Boeing 767
Tulipa suaveolens Roth.- Veronica - pity - icecream - phoenix holding its chick - mosquito - TU 154
Dahlia colosseus- Agness - sorrow - coffee - dogs of the ninth autumn day - louse - IL 62
Syringa vulgaris L. - Emilia - brown study - juice - a jungle game - moth - IL 96
Lathyrus latifolius L. - Aurora - joy - hot dog - hungry galloping horse - bug - IL 86
Lilium tirinum Gaml. - Cecilia - shyness - roll - a bird finding its way in the nest - caterpillar - DC 10
Clematis jackmanni Moore - Clara - wonder - chewing gum - mauntain billygoat opposite a tree - bumblebee - IL 76
Amaryllis belladona L. - Mathilda - languor - sandwich - a dragon tired from a battle - spider - Yak 42
Oputia vulgaris Mill. - Clothilda - dreaminess - popcorn - a bee queen collected honey - fly - A310
Gladiolus tristis - Elvira - fear - cola - dark cicada fastened with a tree - wasp - TU 134
Ricinus communis L. - Henrietta - fondness - potato chips - flutter butterfly finding the flowers - snail - IL 18
Rosa thea hybrida - Rosaline - certainty - snickers - jumping white tiger- cockroach - TU 104

Special thanks to Nikolai Klimeniouk and Katya Taratuta 
 © Andrey Gagarin