Artist-talk with the artists of the School of Art Engineers Inal Savchenkov and Franz Rodwalt

Inal Savchenkov

Born in 1966 in Novorossiysk. In 1982 moved to Saint Petersburg. In 1983-1989 was a part of the New Artists group — an iconic creative association of nonconformists that was established by the icon of the Leningrad New Wave Timur Novikov.

Together with the New Artists, Inal Savchenkov searched for new opportunities for avant-garde art in the USSR of the 1980s. This formally resulted in the movement returning to the language of primitivism and neo-expressionism. Inal Savchenkov participated in art synthesis projects, as well as the performances of Sergey Kuryokhin’s Pop-Mechanica Orchestra. The artists created animation and videos for the Kino rock group, New Composers, Kolibri, Dva Samolyota music bands.

In 1987 together with sculptor Franz Rotwald and the artist’s brother Sergey En’kov he established the Fine Arts Engineers group that presented a new method of creating by using scientific data in artworks. At the end of the 1980s, Inal Savchenkov created the North Pole Society with a focus on producing films and animation.

The artist attaches great importance to the concept of his work. He strives to bring art into practical contact with society. The artist uses painting to express various physical and emotional conditions that form in the course of gaining empirical knowledge of reality.

Franz Rodwalt

Born in 1957 in Kazakhstan to a German-Polish family. In 1972, enrolled in the Kungur Stonecutting School where he studied molding, sketching, painting, sculpture, and traditional folk ornaments. In 1977, began teaching at the school. In 1979, moved to Leningrad. In 1980, enrolled in the Mukhina School with design as a major. In 1984, transferred to the monumental sculpture department. Graduated in 1988.

At the end of the 1980s, Franz Rodwalt became acquainted with leaders of the Leningrad underground. He begins creating bandage sculptures that are presented as part of performance art pieces and international artist performances. He organizes German artist exhibitions in Leningrad. In 1989, Rodwalt and Inal Savchenkov are invited to work in Italy. Later they establish the joint group Zero to the Four Winds in Budapest and organize an exhibition at the Tacheles Gallery in Berlin. In the summer of the same year, Inal Savchenkov and Franz Rodwalt decided to establish the international School of “Engineers of Art” at their studio. In 1995, Franz Rodwalt moves to Berlin. In 1999, he begins working actively as a sculptor and artist in the field of cinema. Since 1999, Franz Rodwalt worked with many of the most famous film directors: Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), the Wachowskis (V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas, The Matrix: Resurrections), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), George Clooney (The Monuments Men), Roman Polanski (The Ghost Writer), Chad Stahelski (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum), Duncan Jones (Mute), Paul W. S. Anderson (The Three Musketeers), Fede Álvarez (The Girl in the Spider's Web), Karyn Kusama (Æon Flux), Gore Verbinski (A Cure for Wellness), Christian Alvart (Pandorum), Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters), and many other luminaries.

Rodwalt created sculptures for the production of “Peer Gynt” at the Staatstheater Hannover, pieces for the Bremen Airport, as well as the Street Art Museum and Freies Museum in Berlin.

Artists will talk about their work in the Art Engineers team and about their own projects.

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