Public discussion " Way of a Freak: geeks, niche culture and innovation», with support of editorial director of «Afisha» magazine Yuri Saprykin, took place in Novosibirsk State Regional Scientific Library.
The meeting in Regional Scientific Library has opened a series of public discussions «In’ovation» dedicated to discussion of culture and innovations. Besides Yuri Saprykin, among other participants were: Philip Dzyadko, chief editor of the «Bolshoi Gorod» («Big City») magazine; Alisa Prudnikova, director of the National Centre of Contemporary Art in Yekaterinburg; members of the art group «Blue Noses» Slava Mizin and Aleksander Shaburov; chief editor of the «Project Siberia» magazine Alexander Lozhkin; professor of Novosibirsk State Academy of Architecture and Arts Konstantin Skotnikov; and photographer Valeriy Klamm. Mikhail Kaluzhskiy, producer of social projects of the Moscow publishing house «Corpus», moderated the discussion. The discussion concerned features of freak culture compared with mainstream, wide acknowledgement of eccentric persons in society and problems of modern art, which in many ways is a freak one.
«Freaking» as a topical phenomenon, from the point of view of most discussion experts, is not a unique feature of modern times. Counterculture, opposing the generally accepted cultural tendencies, not to dig dip in the history, has always permanently existed, particularly in Soviet Union, which is remembered by some experts. The question is if it is correct to compare and equalise the concept of the 80-s underground with the 00-s freaking. «What is underground now?» Alexander Shaburov asks. «You, musicians, artists are useless. You will not be heard even if you shout on the square. Noone will forbid you to, though. Underground in the Soviet Union was a forced position — and now we can do everything we want, and we shouldn’t let this bollocks in our heads. A normal person doesn’t want to be a freak».
In Yuriy Saprykin’s opinion, «freaking» is a mark of the 90-s: «In the 90-s, any demonstration of strange appearance or any abnormal behavior would cause incredible excitement, positive or negative. And now it doesn’t worry anybody even if you are walking naked down the street». Unless it is a way to defy authority or an oppositional action, Saprykin adds. The Director of «Afisha» supposes that all modern Russian mainstream is essentially freakish: «What do you mean by freaks’ making their way into mainstream, if the main pop-culture stars are men who dress as transvestites — Philipp Kirkorov and Verka Serdyuchka? As a result, due to the freakiness of mass-culture, people from underground or freak underground of the 90-s wonderfully integrate into mainstream. «If we talk about numerous cultural niches which exist parallel to mainstream, the paradox is that they are not freakish. They are subculture, but there is nothing weird in them. And they are not interesting outside their own circle», Saprykin points out.
Talking about niches which are occupied by freaks, Alexander Lozhkin notes, «It’s essential that there are always things that are outside the commonly accepted values system. Any innovation is born outside culture, and then can either be implanted or not». It is assumed that immediately after implanting, the phenomenon looses its freak status. It happenned with many young performers now known not only on the Internet, like Pyotr Nalich: having appeared in social networks with unusual and funny videos, they got society interested as freaks. «They try to scratch plump society with their buffoonery and eccentricity», noted Valeriy Klamm. «But resources of shocking behavior are quickly exhausted».
Perhaps that is why the discussion reduced to the problem of self-expression of young talented people and absence of a large centre of modern non-classical art in Novosibirsk. Shocking freak culture is a culture too. To develop in positive direction, it needs exhibition grounds and spectators. An unexpected note from the audience was absolutely to the point. Head of the Department of Culture of the Novosibirsk Region Natalya Yaroslavtseva informed that the mayor had made a decision to open the Centre of Contemporary Art. It is still questionable whether freak art will loose its value and special status after moving to museum halls. But, as it was noted later in the discussion «The generation of the zeros» by Yuriy Saprykin, it doesn’t matter where and in what niche you do something — it’s important what you do.
Margarita Chalova