Sergey Bugaev Afrika (continued)
Protecting the artist against himself, and to create an image of this protection: that was the intention of Protection by Sergey Bugaev Afrika.
Sergey Bugaev Afrika spent 24 hours in an isolation cell on the psychiatric ward of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam (AMC de Meren), from 11 am September 3, to 11 am September 4, 2008.
PROTECTION was a free re-enactment of Bugaev's earlier project KRIMANIA. In 1993, just after the fall of the Soviet-Union, Bugaev spent three weeks in a psychiatric hospital in the Krim, to observe ánd to be observed by both patients and staff. This was Bugaev's way to lay a fundament for being an artist.
Why hospitalize oneself again, 15 years later? Contemporary art in Russia is booming. Artists are driven by the ambition to be discovered. This ‘frenzy’ damages the artists and their art, argues Bugaev: "Art should be protected from itself." Someone needs to intervene.
PROTECTION was a free re-enactment of Bugaev's earlier project KRIMANIA. In 1993, just after the fall of the Soviet-Union, Bugaev spent three weeks in a psychiatric hospital in the Krim, to observe ánd to be observed by both patients and staff. This was Bugaev's way to lay a fundament for being an artist.
Why hospitalize oneself again, 15 years later? Contemporary art in Russia is booming. Artists are driven by the ambition to be discovered. This ‘frenzy’ damages the artists and their art, argues Bugaev: "Art should be protected from itself." Someone needs to intervene.
With PROTECTION Bugaev took the lead with a substitute ‘compulsory’ hospital admission. During his stay in the isolation cell Bugaev Afrika was treated a 'classical' treatment, being naked except for a hospital cloth. Orange juice and coffee were served. Some newspapers were allowed. Erik Hagoort was given permission to film Bugaev's activities for some 30 minutes.
PROTECTION was realized in collaboration with Sabrina Kamstra, coordinator Kunstzaken AMC, and Gerty Casteelen, head psychiatry AMC de Meren, and the staff of AMC de Meren."
Protection installation at the opening in W139:
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