The Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery in Paris is showing works by Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov for the fourth time, featuring the series, Tea, Coffee, Cappucino taken between 2000 and 2010. The Loft 19 Gallery is also featuring a series entitled I am not I.

Never before exhibited in France Tea, Coffee, Cappucino is presented with, the entirety of the 177 pictures of the series. Guest of the Venice Biennale (2007) Boris Mikhailov had presented the work realised at this time in the Ukrainian pavilion
This work is part of the documentary and historical witnessing of the regime changes It follows his previous works, By the Ground in 1991, At Dusk in 1993 and Case History in 1997. A reflection on the fall of the Soviet regime. Mikhailov comments “I wanted to see if it was possible to show the aspects of this period, like an historical painting, but working on documentary photography”.

He used Kharkov street as a backdrop, capturing the new social classes and their new habits “anything can be bought or sold, even children”. The women wandering along the street pushing their carriages filled with goods wrapped in brightly colored plastic bags yelling Tea, Coffee, Cappucino provided the series title. “Before this date, people didn’t drink Cappuccino”.

At Loft 19, Boris Mikhailov selected 15 prints from his 1992 I am not I series. At first glance, the series seems to stray from his previous work with the large format black and white self portraits inspired by 19th century nudes. Taken between the series By the Ground in 1991 and At Dusk in 1993, these poses of fake athleticism or contemplation are a provocation to the new capitalist heroes idealized by Hollywood. “But as I already said, it is impossible to have a hero in the Soviet Union, he has already been destroyed by ideology. There were heroes, people who threw themselves in front of machine guns, but we always ended up jokingly saying that they were pushed. There could only be an antihero. This series is dedicated to the new antihero, to new capitalism” declared the photographer in a book by David Teboul I have been here (Éditions Hirmer Verlag/Les presses du réel).

Bernard Perrine
Bernard.Perrine1@orange.fr

Boris Mikhailov
Tea, Coffee, Cappuccino
Until March 10, 2012

Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve Paris
7 rue Pastourelle
75003 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 71 76 54
info@suzanne-tarasieve.com

I am not I
Until March 10, 2012

Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve Paris/ Loft 19
Passage de l'Atlas,
5 Villa Marcel Lods
75019 Paris
+33 (0)1 45 86 02 02
info@suzanne-tarasieve.com