MOSCOW.- The Moscow Museum of Modern Art presents the first solo exhibition of the artist Pavel Pukhov (1983 – 2013) who has been best known as Pasha 183, his alias. As far as the Russian museum activities are concerned, his exhibition at the MMOMA is the first project in which museum space and street art will join forces to highlight the oeuvre of a particular artist.

The spray-painted murals of Pasha 183 were just a part of the whole story. Graffiti was the artist’s medium of choice at the beginning of his career back in 2002. However, the works displayed at the MMOMA will enable the spectator to see some other facets of the street art Pasha 183 brought to light later in his career e.g. monumental installations using light and optical effects. The works of Pacha 183 address such issues as the dominant role of an industry in modern society; tackiness and commercialization (Industry, Alionka); loneliness (Locked Up) and ways of stepping out of the comfort zone (To Those Who Set the Bridges on Fire – a Dedication). Marking the anniversary of the August Coup of 1991, Pasha 183 transformed the glass doors of the Moscow Metro into the images of riot police officers (Truth on Truth – 19/8/91 – a Reminder). To pay homage to the victims and heroes pertinent to the Great Patriotic War, the artist projected the image of a 1945 gun salute on to a wall (The V-Day). The non-street art works by Pasha 183 have become part of private collections located in Paris, London and Moscow.

In 2012, the international public learned about Pasha 183 after a number of foreign publications including The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and The Telegraph had run articles on the artist. The artist displayed his paintings for the first time while taking part in the 2012 exhibition held in a Paris suburb. It was the joint exhibition of works by Pasha 183 and the French artist Nebay. Following the demise of Pasha 183, the British street artist Banksy dedicated one of his works to him. It is titled P183. R.I.P.

The ability to expertly blend the street environmental aids with some high-colored terse images was a trademark characteristic of the art of Pasha 183. Music held a special niche in his works. The artist drew inspiration from the lyrics of the Russian rock and hip-hop musicians. He portrayed the musicians. In 2012, the artist was commissioned to design the scenery of the rock musical TODD. By making use of the most unusual means of expression to enhance the intensity of visual and sense perception, Pasha 183 suggested taking a step beyond the mental bounds applicable to a set of circumstances.

The MMOMA exhibition will take up the entire second floor of its venue on Gogolevsky Boulevard. The exhibition will be consisted of the reconstructed street installations, photographs of murals and objects, and paintings made by Pasha 183 during the last years of his career. The exhibition will also comprise documentaries and TV videos. Some are made by the artist, others are a joint effort. For the length of the exhibition time the museum halls are designed to look like an extension of the street environment featuring its usual props: snow, bus stops, telephone booths, CCTV cameras, and steel fences. A book on the art of Pasha 183 will be presented as part of the exhibition.