An almost perfect success story: how an artist from Minsk conquered New York

Alina Blumis is from Minsk. 25 years ago, she moved to New York and became an artist. Once, several of her works were acquired by the famous American singer Tom Waits. However, the artist herself believes that the top of the career does not exist. About how her life took shape in a new place, Alina told the lifestyle magazine KYKY.

Today her works are exhibited in popular galleries in America, France, and Great Britain. For all this time, the artist returned to Belarus only twice.

About the path that immigrants in the United States walk, and about many other interesting things, read below.

How it all began

Alina left Belarus 25 years ago. Now she lives in the center of New York. This is like an ideal success story of an emigrant from Belarus.

“I was born in Minsk, lived in Serebryanka, went to an art club, like many children. There was a very good teacher who advised me to enroll in Akhremchik boarding school. I entered there and a year or two after leaving school, when I was 20 years old, I left for America. In principle, I felt great in Minsk. But my mother really wanted to leave, and I decided that I would go, help her adapt and return, ”Alina recalls.

She said that in America she has many relatives. “We did not come to an empty place, but I remember the first time we got to Manhattan (and we lived with an aunt in Brooklyn), we got out of the subway, my mother saw the skyscrapers and she was scared for the responsibility that she took upon herself. There were even tears in my eyes! And I looked up and thought: “God, I will never leave here,” Alina shares.

If they had not moved to the United States then, most likely, they would still have gone to study in Germany or Poland. “Because my classmates have already come this way. And it works like this: one left and pulled the others along, ”she explained.

Life in a new place

“In principle, I felt good in Belarus, because, like most young people of that time, I was outside politics - I was not interested in it. And everything that concerns the system, national symbols, parades, caused rejection. But my mother, as a man of the older generation, read Solzhenitsyn, was interested in the West and, of course, thought: “there will be no future, but in the West -”, she said.

Alina admits that she was so apolitical that she did not even know who was then president. “Moreover, I remember when the coup happened and the tanks“ left ”in Moscow, I was with my friends on the beach in Ukraine - we did not know anything at all. Then we went on the bus, all the passengers discussed something. We asked: "What is happening?" They answered us: "There is no more country." And we are going on a bus with swimsuits, ”recalls the artist.

She noted that this information did not bother her at all. “We didn't care. We have just come from the beach! We were very apolitical, so now I have all the work on politics, ”she said.

“The hard experience of emigrants was not at all”

It was no coincidence that New York was chosen to move, because there lived a family at Blumis.

Alina admits that she does not imagine how her life would have developed if she and her family settled in one of the small towns of the United States. “When we arrived in New York in December, I remember that our aunt met us in a car. We drive through the Italian region of Brooklyn, where there are such two-story houses and everywhere the glowing Virgin Mary and Jesus. I was amazed: “And this is America? So two story? So religious? And where is the whole culture, underground? ” But then all this was found, ”she said.

Alina and her mother were legal migrants. They lived with their aunt for about a month. “We had a green card. I immediately went to study - I had state support. Fortunately, there was no hard experience of emigrants at all. For example, I never had to work at a gas station. I immediately thought that I could do what I liked. ”

The only obstacle to this was lack of knowledge of English. “I studied it at school, I even had five. But of course, I could not even order a cup of tea in a cafe. Now I have left an accent - it does not bother me, but when I meet someone for the first time, they ask me where I come from. I don’t want to be either American or Belarusian: all my art is about being between cultures, ”the artist explains.

Although the Belarusian woman never wanted to forget where she came from. “When they say,“ Now I’m an American and I’ll forget everything that happened to me, ”I think this is stupid,” she said. - Remember, I said that I was very apolitical? But subconsciously it was all in me. And now I turn to this knowledge. I like socialist realism and Soviet aesthetics, I understand their value. When I was growing up in Belarus, I didn't even see the stucco molding on the buildings. But now I'm interested in seeing how different states use official symbols. It is interesting to compare, even at the everyday level, how people in the West and in Belarus react to the same situations. "

The distance helps to consider the characteristics of American culture, says Alina. “Every day they ask you,“ how are you? ”, And you say“ everything is fine. ” And when in Belarus you ask “how are you?” People tell you that a terrible thing happened this summer. And here you understand that constantly “everything is fine” also cannot be, ”Blumis noted.

"Still not experiencing nostalgia"

Many people who migrated to another country, after years begin to miss home. Alina said that she did not miss. “I still don't feel nostalgia. But this is because of my character: I don’t have nostalgia at all. In the past it was good, but now I feel good. And in the future it could be even better, ”she explained.

Today, the Belarusian does not follow what is happening in his native Minsk, in particular, he observes the creative sphere. “As for the names of artists - not much has changed during this time. Even when I read the news, I recognize 60% of the names. In addition, I keep in touch with my classmates who live in Dusseldorf - they did the Zbor exhibition about the history of Belarusian art abroad. If I have any questions or want to know what is happening in the Belarusian art world, I can talk to them. In addition, I look at lifestyle sites to find out what is going on. True, I'm more interested in art and friends. Well, I’m also following politics a bit, ”said Blumis.

Today Alina and her husband live in Tribeca. Prior to that, she managed to live in many parts of Manhattan, mainly in Downtown. “During my studies, I had a place to live on my then beloved Crosby Street, in a room that looks like the галере gallery — an old Chinese factory on the ground floor. Then we could not afford to rent an apartment. By the way, there is a very fashionable Rick Owens store there now, ”recalls the Belarusian.

Meet the husband

Alina met her husband at a party of mutual friends. “And it was not an artistic party, but two artists found each other,” she said.

He came to America from Moldova with his family when he was 12 years old. “We collaborated a lot, but now Jeff is more involved in painting. All these beliefs “either family or art” are not close to me. I do not choose. Jeff has a very good character, so quarreling is simply unrealistic. We worked together for a very long time, and still do some projects together. But we are lucky - we love to do different things. And our tandem works just for this reason. And now we are working separately, and our art is so different that I enjoy this difference every day. It’s always interesting for me to watch his work - it’s like a breath of fresh air, ”the artist explained.

Alina said that when she works, then everything fades into the background. “I’ve been like this since childhood: I can work 12 and 16 hours in a row. I can even forget to eat! An ideal day is when I’m in the workshop all day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Although in the summer, when I was out of town, I could get up at 6 in the morning and go to work. And in the evening I go to parties with friends - I love New York at night, ”the Belarusian admitted.

Exhibitions: successful and not very

Alina remembered how her first exhibition was held. It all started with the fact that she went to study painting in college. “I never had a doubt who I want to be. But in America, I realized that it makes no sense to study painting - I already graduated from an art school in Minsk. I went to the dean and said that I want to stay in college, but I don’t know what to study. He replied that you need to try something that I do not know at all. Thus, she chose the computer art department. I did not do this in the future, but the first exhibition was in our university gallery, ”she recalls.

Further events developed slowly. According to the artist, in Soviet education a lot of emphasis is placed on how you can draw. And she’s closer to the position, "that everything should go from the idea." “The idea is the most important thing, and the technique is secondary. I like the conceptual direction, I began to read more books on this topic, gradually moved away from the craft and came to the concept, ”said Alina.

At first she was engaged in video art, but then decided that she would not use a computer at all. Now in her studio there is not even internet. “When I did a series with the birds on the passports, my friend said:“ Why are you so tormented? Choose the 10 most beautiful. " No, I needed all 43. In addition, I checked it many times - maybe I missed some. And I want the full volume! I have such an approach, ”the artist shares the secret.

Speaking about unsuccessful exhibitions, Alina recalled the following story: “Somehow I hung the work side by side, and no one understood that these were two different works. Maybe they are not so noticeable to the public. I just had to explain too much - more than I should have. It was hard for people to understand the concept, and I decided that I would not do so anymore. For me it is important that the exhibition looks good and understandable, ”she summed up.

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The most memorable was the exhibition in the gallery "Ў". “This is probably my biggest solo exhibition. And I am confident in these works. Last year, she participated in a large museum exhibition in France, MAC VAL "Persona Grata", held at the MAC VAL Museum and the Museum of Emigration in Paris. When I looked at the list of participants, I was surprised: it seemed to me that someone was wrong - well, I can’t put up with such people! And I really appreciate the participation in the exhibition Specters of Communism: Contemporary Russian Art, which was supervised by Boris Groys, ”shared the Belarusian memories.

Alina said that she had long wanted to make an exhibition in Minsk. “I thought it was very important to return here with the exhibition and show what I found, studied and understood over the past 25 years. If we talk about the gallery "Ў", then this is a magnificent space. Many galleries in the world would dream of such a thing, ”comments the artist. - It is industrial, on the ground floor, very large, with a bar. If such a site were in New York, it would become one of the main galleries in the city. "

About success in art

There is a theory that contemporary art is heavily driven by commerce. What if the artists did not try to get into the trend and did not focus on those whose works cost millions, they would create a completely different art. Alina believes that this is the wrong way. “Even if you make a copy of very famous commercial artists - Banksy, Murakami, Hirst, Koons, you still will not become them. When an artist finds himself, he becomes successful. People understand that this is something personal - something that they have not yet seen, - the Belarusian thinks. - I never thought about sales. I believe that this is harmful for the artist. Art is not a place where money can be easily earned. ”

She never wanted to be a commercial artist, to paint to order. “When I do the work, I’m only focused on myself, because I don’t have any idea who will come to my exhibition and what these people have guidelines. And when someone finds my art interesting, this is a pleasant surprise for me, ”the artist explained.

According to statistics, only two percent of all artists live on money from their art. This is a little realistic goal - to live on sales, Alina believes. Someone succeeds, but most of the artists in New York teach - so they get a stable income and time to engage in art. “When I grew up in Minsk, no one said that I needed to study as a lawyer or a doctor. And only at the age of 18 I first heard that you need to choose a profession so that it is practical. My cousin married a businessman. He said: “Well, as you will be engaged in painting, you will not earn any money! You need to study ceramics, you will make pots. ” It was a discovery for me, ”recalls the artist.

About research projects

Alina likes to do such projects. One of her works is called "Most of us." “How did I come to the idea of ​​doing this work? I decided to see who could become the most typical person in the world, how much we are all alike and how different we are. National Geographic recently conducted a study and found that the most typical person in the world is a 28-year-old man from China, ”she concludes.

The girl set out to build a more integral image and began to study statistics. “My work“ Most of us ”begins like this: on September 9, 28 years old, Christians, men, by the name of Mohamed, by the name of Li and so on, were born,” the artist said. “How did I come to this formula?” September 9 is the most common birthday, with an average age of 28 years, more Christians than people of other faiths, more men than women, Mohamed is the most common name, and Lee is the most common surname. This work consists of 14 paragraphs, each of which begins with the birth of the most typical person, and ends with the fact that he often repeats the word “OK”. And when we compile all this data together, we get an absurd portrait. But in fact, the character Mohamed Lee is even in the series "The Big Bang Theory." There, one guy says: "Someone must fly to the space station - who will it be?" And Sheldon replies: "This is Mohamed Lee, because he is the most typical person in the world."

Of course, this is absurd, the artist notes. But every joke has a fraction of a joke. “I like that in one character we combine Christianity, the East and the Arab countries. This already has some future in our world. We are now clinging to national values ​​and patriotism, but in the end the world is moving towards globalization, ”she said.

Belarus noted that she does not want to belong to any culture. “And from this I have no loneliness. On the contrary, the more cultures I know, the more confident I feel. For example, when I go to Italy and understand a few words, and also know where to go, it gives me pleasure that I am a little local, ”says Alina.

How everything works

The artist talked about how the world of New York galleries is arranged and how to get there.

“There are people who just make money, and they don't care about art. And there are gallery owners who support artists all their lives, even if they are not for sale. I am calm about any party. On the contrary, I like to be in the company of very pretentious people, and then in the company of very simple people. I love when something changes around. At the same time, I never try to merge with either this party or that, ”she said.

Alina believes that "snob parties are basically about money and status." “But when you are an artist, this status does not put pressure on you like that. I was never afraid to talk to those with high status. We are all ordinary people, ”the artist concludes.

“Tom Waits bought some of my work”

One day, she recalls, Tom Waits and his wife came to her exhibition. “I talked with her for a long time. I didn’t know who she was. And I didn’t recognize him! She suspected that this was someone famous, because people were walking around and actively taking pictures. Tom asked where I came from. She answered that she was from Minsk and told her story. But if I knew that it was Tom Waits, I would say how I love music! I would not be able to talk about myself and would talk more about him. So this ignorance saved me. By the way, he bought several of my works, ”said the Belarusian.

Speaking about the price at which the musician bought her works, Alina noted that she didn’t know for sure: “It was a project as a gift shop, so it wasn’t very expensive. They didn’t cost as souvenirs, a little more expensive - a couple of hundred dollars. ”

Today, the work of Alina Blumis can be purchased at different prices. For example, each painting in a series of her black and white watercolor drawings of national animals costs several thousand dollars.

About the pinnacle of an artist’s career

Speaking about what Alina considers to be the pinnacle of the artist’s career, she replied: “What is surprising is nothing. And even the most successful artists of the world scale consider themselves losers. Because there is no limit! To consider that you have achieved everything is stupid. But to consider yourself a failure is stupid, because neither this nor that is true. Even to have paintings in the MOMA collection does not seem to be the goal that the artist should strive all his life, ”she said.

Moreover, the artist may not even be able to draw, says Alina. “And there are so many examples. Say Alfredo Jaar may be able to draw, but I have never seen his work related to drawing. Moreover, I know a lot of people who draw very well, but are not artists, ”summarizes Alina.

Blumis considers the contemporary genius to be New York artist Meryl Laderman Jukles.

“She is already 80 years old! In the 1970s, she wrote the Maintenance Art Manifesto Manifesto (1969). Meryl was married, she has three children. She was in an art party, but she had to devote a lot of time to household work. And she did a whole project about it. For example, she had a series of photos about how she folded her socks after washing. And there was a performance when washing bank steps on Wall Street Washing / Tracks / Maintenance Outside (1973). And for the project, she shook hands with the cleaners of New York. I always loved her very much - I like this kind of creativity, it’s conceptual, ”Alina said.

Today Meryl is a non-profit, but very revered artist. She recently had an exhibition in Queens: “Once, in our project, we were visiting an elderly woman in the Bronx with family dinners. One of the guests said that his wife is also an artist. I say: could you repeat your name because I didn’t hear it well. He pronounces her name, and I am speechless for 10 minutes. It was that Meryl! And for someone such people are generally no one. And for me they are everything. ”