Bacon in Moscow
Published on 1. June 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-78816-976-9 (ISBN)
Description
'A rollicking cultural adventure... fascinating and true' Grayson Perry
This funny and personal memoir is the account of an audacious attempt by James Birch, a young British curator, to mount the ground-breaking retrospective of Francis Bacon's work at the newly refurbished Central House of Artists, Moscow in 1988.
Side-lined by the British establishment, Birch found himself at the heart of a honey-trap and the focus for a picaresque cast of Soviet officials, attaches and politicians under the forbidding eye of the KGB as he attempted to bring an unseen western cultural icon to Russia during the time of 'Glasnost', just before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Bacon in Moscow is the story of the evolution of an exhibition that was at the artistic and political heart of a sea of change that culminated with the fall of the USSR.
'A rollicking cultural adventure before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the meteoric rise of contemporary art in the nineties' Grayson Perry
This funny and personal memoir is the account of an audacious attempt by James Birch, a young British curator, to mount the ground-breaking retrospective of Francis Bacon's work at the newly refurbished Central House of Artists, Moscow in 1988.
Side-lined by the British establishment, Birch found himself at the heart of a honey-trap and the focus for a picaresque cast of Soviet officials, attaches and politicians under the forbidding eye of the KGB as he attempted to bring an unseen western cultural icon to Russia during the time of 'Glasnost', just before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Bacon in Moscow is the story of the evolution of an exhibition that was at the artistic and political heart of a sea of change that culminated with the fall of the USSR.
'A rollicking cultural adventure before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the meteoric rise of contemporary art in the nineties' Grayson Perry
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Bacon in Moscow: 'A rollicking cultural adventure before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the meteoric rise of contemporary art in the nineties. James Birch pulls off an artistic coup necessitating endless champagne nights in Soho with Francis Bacon and marathon Moscow vodka sessions with the mysterious Sergei Klokov. Fascinating and true. What a liver!' * Grayson Perry * I absolutely loved reading this audio book - 'recent history' conjured up and delivered with first hand insight and humour, navigating Russian mores and the British art world. -- Richard E Grant Grayson Perry describes this book as a 'rollicking cultural adventure... fascinating and true.' And nothing could, for the art world at least, be truer than this * The Lady * A fascinating memoir * Financial Times * 'Darkly funny account of art behind the iron curtain.' * Observer * 'Evocative and authentic.' * Observer * 'Excellent recall, nicely garlanded with irony, amusement and an intense fondness for Bacon.' * Observer * 'Full of eccentric characters and comic incident.' * Times * 'An amusing romp that could act as a cautionary tale.' * Mail on Sunday * 'Brilliantly entertaining.' * Perspective * 'Birch is one of those rare wunderkinds of the art world.' * The Lady *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
368 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78816-976-9 (9781788169769)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
James Birch is a curator who has promoted modern art exhibitions around the world for over thirty years. He opened his first gallery in 1983, followed by two more in London over the next two decades. James has exhibited artists including Grayson Perry, Francis Bacon, Gilbert & George, Austin Osman Spare, Eileen Agar and Denis Wirth-Miller.