Exhibition of Boris Lurie, founder of NO!art movement, to open at the Rothko Centre Culture news

On Friday 26 April, in cooperation with Boris Lurie Art Foundation, an exhibition “Artist and Witness” by world-famous artist Boris Lurie, founder of the NO!art movement, will open at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre.

Boris Lurie (Jul 18, 1924 – Jan 7, 2008), an American artist and writer, born in Leningrad into a Jewish family and grew up in Riga. From 1941 to 1945, he was imprisoned in German concentration camps. His mother, grandmother and sister were killed by the Nazis in Rumbula.

He co-founded the NO!art movement which calls for art leading to social action. The goal was to have art address the disconcerting truths: racism, imperialism, sexism, colonialism, depravity. The movement favours “totally unabashed self-expression leading to social action” and is opposed to the worldwide capitalist “investment art market”, to pop-art that celebrates consumerism and to decorative “salon art”.  Lurie’s highly controversial work, sometimes combining imagery deriving from the Holocaust with samplings from popular culture, advertising, and girlie magazines, alienated critics and curators and was ignored by the art establishment.

Lurie’ work is currently held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA; NYC), Whitney Museum of American Art (NYC).).

Besides exhibition opening on 26 April, admirers of Boris Lurie’s art are invited to attend other events that will explore his biography, work and ideas:

11 a.m. “Truth or Mystifications. Confrontation of Boris Lurie with Mark Rothko” – lecture by Dr Eckhart Gillen;

12 a.m. “The Art of Boris Lurie” by Rudij Bergmann – film screening and meeting with the director;

2 p.m. Artist talks – press conference, featuring Mr Rafael Vostell, advisor of the Boris Lurie Art Foundation.