Maslenitsa project, moscow: luring the bear out of its cave
A popular Russian artist is invited every year to create a sculpture for Maslenitsa in Gorky Park, which they ritually burn at the end of the festivities. 2016 was the first time that a foreign artist was invited to create a sculpture for the celebration. One of the most well-known contemporary sculptors – Gábor Miklós Szőke – reinterpreted Russian and Hungarian traditions to create the project: Greeting of Spring.
The cold, grim, slushy winter was represented by a cave. The artist incorporated elements from his old sculptures into the wooden installation, which was also ritually burnt during Maslenitsa urging away winter and darkness. According to Hungarian tradition, winter ends when bears leave their caves, so by burning the symbol of winter the artist lured the bear out of its cave bringing spring along. The bear – made of more than a hundred steel elements – is a constant resident of Gorky Park. The artist would like to bring joy to many generations to come with this kind, sitting bear.
The 7 meter tall and 6 meter wide cave installation was made of pinewood and the surprise waiting inside was the bear, which came out of its lair at the end of the 2016 Maslenitsa festival. The performance was watched by thousands of locals, who were quite skeptical about what was to follow. It was rumored that a foreigner was going to burn a sculpture of a bear, the symbol of Russia, but to everyone’s surprise, the bear was actually freed from its winter cave, and the spectators were overjoyed.
Greeting of Spring: Burning performance
In front of thousands of people in the heart of Moscow at Gorky Park
making of the maslenitsa project
video
Burning performance in front of thousands of people in Moscow, Gorky Park