“ENERGETIC ARTISTS”
Painting/photography
In the halls of the gallery

The paths of two legendary artists, Viktor Tikhomirov and Yevgeny Yufit, ran in parallel for many years. Once upon a time they met at a film festival and became friends. What was the attraction?
Viktor Tikhomirov regards Yevgeny Yufit as an energetic man. Like Tikhomirov himself, Yufit is full of ideas, strength, and good cheer. Yufit's high spirits attracted the cheerful Tikhomirov. These artists don't get depressed. Courage and toughness are their watchwords. As Tikhomirov says, "I have too much energy, and this undermines my reputation as an artist —we're supposed to be sickly and emaciated." The image of artist-as-martyr arose in the late 19th century during the age of Decadence. It was inherited by the unofficial art of the late Soviet period, when only Communist Youth League leaders and directors of turbine factories were supposed to be energetic. The myth of the sickly artist has paradoxically migrated into post-Soviet times. If you're an energetic person you're supposed to be a businessman or politician. Yufit and Tikhomirov disprove this legend. They are energetic artists.