“Moments of a Captured Century”: an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Mikhail Budkeev opened at the Universum gallery

The Universum Gallery of the Institute of Humanities of Altai State University has opened a personal exhibition of a People's Artist of the Russian Federation, academician of the Petrovsky Academy, laureate of the Barnaul Municipal Prize Mikhail Budkeev, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the master.

The opening of the exhibition entitled The Captured Century was the final point in a series of events dedicated to the artist’s centenary anniversary, which began on December 23, 2022, the day of his 100th anniversary. A year ago, in honor of this significant date, an exhibition of 200 paintings by Mikhail Budkeev opened in the exhibition hall of the museum “Gorod”.

This time, 60 paintings are presented at the Universum gallery of Altai State University. Basically, these are previously unexhibited sketches, as well as the artist’s best works, painted in different periods of his life.

“It is important and necessary to present the classical paintings of Mikhail Budkeev at the Universum gallery, since this is a university gallery, which students and teachers often visit, where their studies, creative workshops and master classes take place. Thus, future painters get acquainted with the best examples of classical art, learn the features of composition, color, and techniques for displaying real objects on canvas. Despite the fact that some of the sketches presented at the exhibition date back to the 50s of the last century, they are very fresh, as if they were painted just now and sometimes in a few strokes they convey the uniqueness of one moment, which the artist then displays in the picture. This is, let’s say, a captured moment of a captured century,” noted the initiator of the exhibition, professor of the Department of Arts at Altai State University, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, founder of the organ culture of Altai, corresponding member of the International Academy of Sciences and Pedagogical Education, Doctor of Art History Sergei Budkeev.

In addition, Sergei Budkeev plans to hold weekly concert evenings in the interior of the exhibition, where everyone, in addition to getting acquainted with works of art, will be immersed in the world of classical music.

“It will be a kind of interactive experience. During the concert program, visitors to the exhibition will be able to freely move around the halls of the gallery, look at the paintings, and will be able to sit down and listen to live music. That is, we are planning to arrange a kind of penetration of music into painting. I believe that this will be an advance in our educational space – music and painting, covering different eras, which is very important for humanists,” he emphasized.

“The work of Mikhail Budkeev is an example of the high style of classical painting, based on the best traditions of the Russian realistic school. That is why the opening of an exhibition of Budkeev’s works within the walls of our institute is of great scientific and educational value. Introducing students to the paintings of Mikhail Budkeev, we tell them not only how to correctly arrange paints and create space, but also how to treat your work, with what love and responsibility, how you can express your civic position through landscapes and still lifes, depict historical places of the city and lost architecture,” summed up Director of the Institute of Humanities, Doctor of Art Criticism, Professor Larisa Nekhvyadovich.