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Alexander Reichstein
Academy of Print (Moscow), University of Industrial Arts (Helsinki), b. 1957, Lives in Helsinki, Finland
ALEXANDER REICHSTEIN (born 1957, Moscow) has lived and worked in Helsinki, Finland, since 1990, making art in different ways. He has been illustrating children books for international publishers, making
sculptures and designing playgrounds, leading workshops and arranging happenings, building up temporary and permanent exhibitions and installations in a wide range of institutions from day care centers to prominent art museums. Reichstein’s largescale exhibition projects balance on the edge between illusionism and elitist art, pop art and academic art, amusements for children and entertainment for aesthetes, while his playful interactive installations put viewers in touch with ancient myths and complex phenomena from cultural history.
While Reichstein has changed the topics, concepts, media and style of his works over the years, he has remained faithful to his method, based on the active communication between art objects and viewers. The public has the chance to complete Reichstein’s works conceptually and, sometimes, even physically. An important feature of Reichstein’s exhibitions is their mobility: they can be easily transported and installed. This has made it possible for museum- and festivalgoers in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, France, Israel, Poland, Lithuania, Latviaand other countries to enjoy Reichstein’s installations.
Alexander’s work holds a special place in the artistic culture of Finland, where it was awarded the Finnish State Prize in 2008, the SLS prize in 2016, the Topelius Medal in 1999, and the Finlandia Junior Prize in 1997.
