Last week I visited the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow. Instead of being welcomed by a dry objective info plaque on each "theme" or (group of) artist(s) as you enter different rooms, it seemed as though a random selection of people had each been assigned their own section of the museum to give an outline of, the result being that all the information I read seemed highly opinionated and hilarious. Of course, the imperfect English translation doesn't help - although it was great (and unusual for Moscow) to have translations at all. This was my favourite:
Erogenic Zone
The main task of the contemporary viewer is to distinguish erotica from pornography. It is not so easy to do because of the galloping radicalization of art. In ancient times, the man depicted genitals with reverence guided by tribal religious beliefs. At present, such picture is an outrage against public morality but nevertheless can receive a prestigious state prize.
In the late 20th Century the idea of sex unexpectedly acquires negative meaning. In any case, it is now closely associated with death. Child-bearing as the culmination of sexual relationships becomes unwanted. High birth-rate in Africa results in starvation, poverty and armed conflicts. Advertisements showing a naked body set your teeth on edge, and in the well-to-do Europe more and more couples choose asexual relationships. The still snug oasis of the cheerful positive, i.e. a specific gay culture, has dwindled into a dreary anachronistic sight of metrosexuals marching through the megalopolises in an orderly manner.
So there we have it - no wonder the sex trade in Russia is booming!
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