Old New
The oxymoron name of this beautiful series comes from Russia’s pure holiday «The Old New Year». It is delivered two weeks after the usual new, shared with other countries. He appeared in connection with the change of the Julian calendar to Gregorian.
Diana Machulina. A girl. From the «Old New» series. 2006 Halst, butter. 200×280 cm
Everyone is looking forward to a new year, thinking that life will change for the better. However, hope can grow old in just two weeks and only come to life by next year. The fact that the new year had been able to be moved by decree from one date to another meant that the change date was in fact invalid. With the arrival of a certain day on the calendar, nothing changes, that in the summer, that in the winter, history flows at all times. In the first painting, the tree is decorated with fly adhesive tapes instead of festive gold ribbons.
Diana Machulina. Old New. From the «Old New» series. 2006 Halst, butter. 280×200 cm
Diana Machulina. Opening. From the «Old New» series. 2006 Halst, butter. 300×200 cm
The newspaper’s newspaper, which has a crumbling ribbon of walls and partitions, has been baked by black mussels of black-suited employees: two people in telex get a news tape: deemed unnecessary immediately to the trash can, important and necessary to it the next day. People are greedy reading newspapers, but no news changes their lives. Black bugs are as pointless in front of the eyes as a bunch of flies above the scum.
Diana Machulina. News. From the «Old New» series. 2007 Halst, butter. 200×300 cm
Diana Machulina. A record. From the «Old New» series. 2007 Halst, butter. 200×300 cm
Diana Machulina. The bride. From the «Old New» series. 2007 Halst, butter. 280×230 cm
The works of the series were shown at the exhibitions «Social Art. Political Art in Russia» at the State Third-Kow Gallery (Spec project 2nd Moscow Biennal of Modern Art), 2007; «New Russian storytellers», State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, 2015; «Arts 2000s», State Third-Kow Gallery, 2018; «Vest», State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, 2024, etc.
Diana Machulina. Birthday. From the «Old New» series. 2007 Halst, butter. 280×280 cm
Diana Machulina. Birthday. (Fragment). From the «Old New» series. 2007 Halst, butter. 280×280 cm
