How it works: the “Tikhaya” studio

Founded in 2015 by merging several existing art studios, "Tikhaya" currently hosts 9 permanent artists and invited authors, showcasing residents' exhibitions and supporting young artists. The studio also houses an archive and collaborates with the "Garage" museum on a local Nizhny Novgorod art scene research program. "Tikhaya" is located near the Minin’s square, the main square of the city, just a three-minute walk from Nizhny Novgorod's Kremlin

Artem Filatov

Artist, founder and director of “Tikhaya” studio

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” STUDIO FOR YOU?

In the early days, when the studio consisted of various rooms from different studios, we used to joke that it resembled a garage - a space where people escape from their everyday lives to engage in experimental endeavors and collaborate with their fellow thinkers. However, now I often describe "Tikhaya" as a full-cycle art manufacturing facility, where ideas are conceived and nurtured until they materialize into the final result.

WHAT GAVE A START TO YOUR STORY WITH “TIKHAYA”?

In 2015, I established the "Tikhaya" studio. Prior to that, we had another studio called "Studenaya", named after the street where it was situated. Initially, "Tikhaya" had only one room, but after a year, we were able to rent a second space, which allowed us to create separate areas for printmaking (silkprints, etching) and a carpentry workshop. The name of the studio is also connected to the street where it is located. Historically, Ulyanova Street was known as Tikhonovskaya, after a church that once stood there but was demolished during the Soviet era. However, we were drawn to the contrast of the name "Tikhaya" (meaning "quiet" or "calm" in Russian) with the lively and dynamic atmosphere of the studio. Today, "Tikhaya" represents accurate and serene communication, stability, and a subdued tone.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I’m the founder of the studio, its director and one of the artists at the same time. In some sense I’m Captain Flag of Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

I have a significant collection of art at home, mostly consisting of gifts from other artists. I don't consider myself a collector by nature, so when I do purchase art, it's more of an exception than a rule. I often buy art from local artists in Nizhny Novgorod to gift to my friends and relatives. Through this process, I'm gaining some experience in navigating the world of collecting, albeit in a more casual and spontaneous manner.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

I think the world can and cannot be changed with art at the same time. The problem is, the reality that surrounds us is very much determined and depends on decisions we all have made before, as well as chemical reactions and physical events. It’s difficult to detect the cause and effect relationships between art and human behavior. Nonetheless, in my art projects I offer scenarios in which every participant can decide whether to use it or not. The ability to choose is the best version of current events’ outcome already.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

Nizhny Novgorod is a unique city with its distinctive landscape and culture. On one hand, it can sometimes exhibit characteristics of a capital city, overcoming the provincial mindset. On the other hand, Nizhny Novgorod is known for its warm and hospitable nature, with a similar hedonistic vibe as Samara. Additionally, its proximity to Moscow brings ample resources and opportunities from the capital. Thanks to the presence of Arsenal, the largest contemporary art center outside of Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod has witnessed a significant shift in its cultural attitudes over the past 25 years. The impact of this long-term effort is palpable and cannot be overlooked.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

You have to come to Nizhny Novgorod at least for the weekend, to see all the independent art and culture spaces: FUTURO gallery, 9B gallery, YOU MUM’S KNIGHTS studio, Terminal space, and TSEH. During the warm time of the year, all roads lead to the crematorium, where the therapeutic and memorial project “Named Garden”, which I have created in collaboration with Alexey Korsi, is located.

Alisa Savitskaya

Main curator of “Tikhaya”, invited curator of Moscow Museum

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

A dream space. A dream job.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING IN “TIKHAYA”?

By the time of 2020, the artists of “Tikhaya” studio had become so cool, they pulled me in from Arsenal (a division of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Nizhny Novgorod), where I had been working for almost 12 years straight.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I oversee the creative and scientific strategies of the studio, creating a plan for our creative work, curating exhibitions, conducting research, writing texts, and providing assistance to artists with various aspects, from project consultations to healthcare. And to stay grounded, I also wash the floors once a week.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD?

I don’t want to answer this question, since it’s not professional to have favorites.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

I don’t buy art, because I’m afraid to be dependent on material things. My home collection is “curated” by the artists who decide to give me their artwork as gifts. I have pieces by Yuriy Albert, Dmitry Gutov, Vladislav Efimov, Andrey Filippov, Sergey Shutov. I also have Cherepanovs and ZIP Group. And, of course, the artists of our studio: for instance, I was gifted with Anton Morokov’s flag with a writing “Curate and Conquer” on it for my birthday.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

The world is changing everyday, being influenced by lots of different forces and factors. Art is helping it to stay fragile and complex.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

Nizhny Novgorod has a formed art system, which has been building up throughout almost three decades. The artists of this city, as well as curators and art managers, are aware of the culture as a very long process, that’s why they don’t hope to get instant results, they work hard, support each other and don’t leave their homecity.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

I would still choose Nizhny Novgorod, as I believe it offers unique opportunities for self-realization that are meaningful to me.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

Apart from contemporary art, I recommend visiting the State Museum of Fine Arts. Thanks to titanic efforts of its director Roman Zhukarin, the astonishing collection of homeland and foreign art is now being exhibited in perfectly renovated spaces, while temporary exhibitions, consisting of leading regional and capital collections, are the reason for any other museum to get jealous.

Natalya Korenchenko

Director of Development

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

At the heart of "Tikhaya" is our community of artists and thinkers. We take pride in being a unique example of how a simple art studio can evolve into an institution, with our collective efforts as the driving force. We are dedicated to caring for and reflecting on the past, present, and future, as well as the people who are part of our community.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING IN “TIKHAYA”?

I’m an old friend of “Tikhaya” artists. During the last five years, I took part in the selling process of some of their works. Me and my husband Rustam Korechenko are supporting the artists and actively purchasing their pieces. Three years ago, when we met with Artem Filatov and Alisa Savitskaya to discuss the future of the studio, it became clear that “Tikhaya” is about to become the major mark on the map of Russian contemporary art.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I am responsible for the commercial section. I perform sales of artists’ pieces, communicating with collectors and patrons.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD?

I think of this question as something incorrect. It’s the same thing as if I was asked who my favorite child is!

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

We have art in our family everywhere around us: in our apartment, in our country house, at our friends and relatives places, for whom we give art as gifts on holiday occasions. This is an essential part of our life. Furthermore, our very existence as a family owes much to the power of art.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

We have the power to transform ourselves, and art serves as a catalyst for introspection. Through art, we seek answers to questions that hold personal significance, enabling us to evolve as individuals. As we change, our surroundings also transform. In my perspective, self-improvement is the foundation for positive change in the world, and it begins with introspection.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

The answer is simple. It’s about the symbiosis of professionalism and care of some people in particular, as well as the regional government.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

Six years ago I moved to Nizhny Novgorod from Moscow. My life is strongly bound to this city, at least for now. I love traveling across Russia and abroad, but I want to live in Nizhny Novgorod.

My homeland, a place where I was born and grew up, is Arkhangelsk state. With a huge interest, I’m following my colleagues, and I would very much like to help develop contemporary art in the Russian North. I can say it’s my plan for the near future.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

Nizhny Novgorod has a huge potential. It’s the most picturesque city of all that I have seen. Plus people, who live here and help to develop the city. You can always write to us, and we’ll make a whole list of places you have to visit. Moreover, the Telegram channel of “Tikhaya” is publishing an actual events digest every month. I highly recommend subscribing to it.

Anna Bolshem

Exhibitional projects and public programs manager of “Tikhaya” studio

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

It’s the best of possible places for work, experiments, communication and self-improvement.

WHEN DID YOU JOIN “TIKHAYA”?

In 2021, I happily accepted an invitation to join the team of the studio. Back then it was like a light at the end of a tunnel. And it still is now.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I’m a manager of exhibitions and public projects. I assist artists on every project stage: from the creation of the idea to its realization inside and out of the studio. Apart from exhibitions, I also oversee the SMM and PR directions. Under the caring guidance of Alisa Savitskaya I’m learning how to write texts.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD?

I don’t want to pick somebody in particular, but my liking tends to change from one to another from time to time.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

My home collection symbolically started with Dima Aske’s silkprint “Change”, which I acquired at the “Taste of paper” exhibition back in 2015. It was the year when I made a decision to find a new job and try working in an art sphere. My main focus is street art, as well as Nizhny Novgorod’s artists and artists of our studio, of course. Sometimes I find something for my collection just by taking a walk on the street.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

I believe that art sparks a lot of important dialogues, which can definitely affect people in some senses.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

I think the reason for that is a collaboration of artists and the city, their influence on each other.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

I’ve been working at Arsenal from 2017 to 2021. My colleagues have inoculated me with interest for my home city, and cleared all my hesitations about leaving it. I want to live and work in Nizhny Novgorod, supporting its unspoken title of the best city of the world.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

You have to come to Nizhny Novgorod for several certain things: contemporary art, city landscape, and incredible hospitality.

Daria Konovalova

Main keeper, archivist

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

It’s a dream that I managed to turn into reality. It’s not just a dream that has suddenly come true, because I have put a great effort, a lot of time and energy into making it a reality. I am very inspired by our team and the things we do together. I sincerely consider this place one of the best in our city. It sure is for me, at least.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING IN “TIKHAYA”?

Before “Tikhaya” I was a keeper at Arsenal. I was in touch with artists thanks to my job, and it was always pleasant to be in the studio, these guys are very hospitable. Last autumn, exactly one year ago, I was invited to “Tikhaya”. Now it’s even more joyful to feel myself related to this project. This place is special for me, it’s a great luck to work here.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I’m a keeper: I help to host exhibitions and projects, pack and move the pieces, I also may make some coffee by the instruction of Anton Morokov. This year we have been awarded with a grant from the Garage Museum to maintain archive work, and I’m working in that direction. Soon our archive will be available for everyone to visit via the website of RAAN Russian contemporary art archive network. Moreover, we managed to open our first archive exhibition called “322.6.2b”, it was an interesting experience for us.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

In the building where my workplace is located, all space is filled with art, and I spend much more time here than at my home. But when I get to having my own manor, I won’t be able to live without art, that’s for sure.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

Sticking to Claude Lévi-Strauss’ philosophy, the world is divided into raw and cooked parts. The cooked part is a recycled reality: art, culture, movies, books and other. And the raw part is life itself. Artists are the people who let life flow through themselves and create a new version of reality. The world can be changed, but at first it needs to be seen and accepted as is, having faith in its potential and hopefulness. Art can do both things, showing things as they are, even if it’s hard to look at, and inspiring with possible outcomes. But nothing can be changed violently.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

The artists of our city have made a decision to not limit themselves.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

I’d like to live in some place where there’s more contact with nature and less people. But if “Tikhaya” won’t be there, it's doubtful.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

Nizhny Novgorod blends historic architecture and places for having a good time, as well as places where you can look at the river while thinking about life. The rest is regularly posted in our Nizhny Novgorod contemporary art institutions guide, which can be seen if you subscribe to our mailing list or join the Telegram channel.

Lena Lisitsa

Resident artist of the “Tikhaya” studio

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

A department of home.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING IN “TIKHAYA”?

At the end of 2016, I realized that it’s impossible for me to work in a rented apartment’s room because of the smell of paint, wood, and distracting stuff, so I started to look for a studio to work in. There was a place available in “Tikhaya”, and its resident Sasha Lavrov told me about it.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

I’m an artist. My responsibility is to make poor jokes, carefully speak some crazy stuff, and be the face of the gender balance among the artists of “Tikhaya”.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD?

You have to learn from the best and don’t try to mock anybody. I don’t have any favorite living artists in Nizhny Novgorod.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

Yes. Artem Filatov, Yuri Otinov, Sasha Shurupovert, Rada Iya, and my own works, of course. These are the pieces I purchased when I was just starting my art creating process. Now there’s too much art around me to buy even more.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

Certainly. But this information is sacred, hence it’s being kept as a strict secret.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

Nizhny Novgorod has received people who stopped complaining about the poor artist’s fate and started doing something. Instead of complaining about the absence of an art market, they started supporting artists by purchasing their artwork. It’s the same thing everywhere: stop complaining and start doing.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

If I wasn’t living in Nizhny Novgorod, I would like to live in Nizhny Novgorod.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

Nizhny Novgorod is a very sly city. If it’s your place, you’ll find the answers to any questions that used to be so tedious. The city will speak to you and show you the things you’ve been looking for. And if it’s not your city, you’ll either never visit Nizhny Novgorod anyway, or it will push you away from itself.

Alexey Starkov

Culturologist, guest artist of “Tikhaya” studio

WHAT IS “TIKHAYA” FOR YOU?

“Tikhaya” is a private institution and a community of thinkmates, where the whole team is directly involved in the creative process, while all of its members know each other very well. Because of that, “Tikhaya” is more mobile and flexible than some heavy-weight colleague institutions, and a big emphasis in its strategy is aimed at non-formal communication, as well as direct dialogue between audience and author.

The ability to talk to artists directly or even see them working in the studio during the night time is an important and large step towards tearing down the wall of exhibitional texts between the art sphere and everyday life.

I’m glad that the place with such a position is located in the city where I live myself, and I am also glad that I have the opportunity to take part in the processes initiated by the studio.

HOW DID YOU START WORKING IN “TIKHAYA”?

By the time the studio started expanding and moving to a new building this year’s spring, I was already familiar with the studio members in some way or another. I was invited to join “Tikhaya” in an experimental format: as a guest artist. Of course, I said “yes” and by today, I have been working here since May.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN “TIKHAYA”?

As I said, I’m a guest artist. It means I’m not an official studio resident. I come here to use the space as a studio, using its working areas and tools. Along with that, I take part in several art projects and integrate into the residents circle at some unofficial meetings.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD?

It’s a difficult question! I would call my favorite one of the “Tikhaya” residents Vova Chernyshev. I remember seeing his pieces for the first time back in 2014 in a small exhibition area of the studio on Studenaya street. Back then, the photos from his “Forgotten village” project were being sold for some very symbolic amounts of money after throwing it in the money box (and that’s exactly what I did, actually). Now one of these photos is framed, hanging on the wall of my grandma’s apartment.

DO YOU HAVE ART AT HOME?

I wouldn’t say that I collect art on purpose. All pieces that I have at home appear at my place spontaneously, randomly and subjectively. Sometimes I exchange something with somebody, sometimes I can be gifted with something, and sometimes I just want to support the artist. But usually those are the works of a small format, which can be comfortably placed on the shelf or stored in an album. In that case I need to have some connection with something worth remembering, that happened to me personally, and not just some symbolic self-value of the piece.

CAN ART BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGING THE WORLD?

Art cannot change the world all by itself. It can motivate or inspire, but the world is being changed with people themselves. “Marseillaise” hasn’t made a revolution by itself, as street art is not saving the historic architecture of the city by itself too, it’s about certain people who stand behind all of that. And art is just a reason for adjusting the sharpness of your optics on some problem or theme.

WHY DO YOU THINK, IN YOUR OPINION, NIZHNY NOVGOROD HAS BECOME SUCH A NOTABLE MARK ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART MAP?

This question is even more difficult to answer than the one about my favorite artist! I think it’s a blend of different factors, when the paths of several people who decide to do what they like and what they think is important and needed, exactly in the way they do it here, intersect in a relatively short period of time. This “coincidence” also has some space for luck in it, but anyway it’s more about hard work, stubbornness and a sense of purpose, along with understanding that this work can lead to nowhere as well.

IF YOU WEREN’T LIVING IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD, WHICH CITY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN?

I would like to live in Switzerland. I love “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann, and I would like to visit one of such bold sanatoriums. All in all, as we know from the history of the XXth century. Switzerland is a brilliant place with a whole bunch of positive sides.

WHAT MAKES NIZHNY NOVGOROD WORTH VISITING?

Nizhny Novgorod is a place with a special natural landscape and views. It’s a very interesting mix of anthropogenic and natural sides. This city is crafted with several different ages and eras. You can come here in order to:
• Realize how interesting it can be, discovering the city while not stepping on its central streets even for once
• Get to know how it is like when the street art pieces don’t get to be destroyed in just a couple of hours after their are created
• Take a look at some whole districts consisting of historic wooden buildings, awoken from a “social comatose” by ordinary citizens
• Experience how modern burying practices get interlinked with modern art