Family stories of Ilya Shenker

Museum of the History of the Jews of Odessa "Migdal-Shorashim" presents an exhibition of graphics "Family stories of Ilya Shenker". The works presented at the exhibition, most likely, would never have become an object of museification, or would have only been forced to set off and comment on the ‘real art’ of Ilya Shenker, an artist recognized both in Odessa and in exile. The series of graphic sketches, which Schenker himself sometimes called “My Old Men,” was created ‘for himself’ and was not originally intended for the general public. If the ‘ceremonial’ Schenker can be seen in museums, galleries, and private collections all over the world, then we dare say you will not find these works anywhere (at least in such fullness and breadth), except in our museum. And who, if not the Museum of the History of the Jews of Odessa, acquaints the public with an alternative, truthful, ‘non-dressy’ version of the Odessa myth with all its advantages and disadvantages - Jewish humor (not at all lightweight, as is commonly believed), Yiddish, a touch of wilting ... The wall newspaper presented to the general public for the first time deserves special attention - a unique artifact, a series of works from the mid-1960s, created by Ilya Schenker for the anniversary of his brother Yuli. Using references to traditional Jewish culture, the artist tells the story of his family in a humorous manner. Years later, the wall newspaper was transferred to the Museum of the History of Jews in Odessa by Ilya Shenker's friend, Evgeny Golubovsky. For the first time, all eight sheets are presented at the exhibition, which became possible thanks to the support of a group of patrons who paid for the conservation and decoration of the exhibits. Wednesday, December 1  from 16:00 to 19:00  Where: Nizhinskaya, 66 (code 357) Taking care of the health of our visitors, we made every effort to ensure that the opening of the exhibition was safe for all participants. This time we will have to give up the official part and parting words (which, admittedly, we love), but the curator of the project, Gera Grudev, will be able to pay attention to each guest personally and show you the exhibition in all its glory, sacrificing the joy of communicating with all visitors simultaneously. We will launch visitors to get acquainted with the exhibition by small companies at any time convenient for you from 16:15 to 19:00. We will be glad to see the media representatives at 16:00. Nothing new - we, of course, will be incredibly happy if you do not forget your vaccination certificates and masks at home  ℹ️ Ilya Yakovlevich Schenker (08/23/1920, Odessa - 09/27/2013, New York) - graphic artist, painter, architect. After graduation, he entered the Faculty of Architecture of the Odessa Civil Engineering Institute. At the same time, he attended an art school as a free listener. In 1974 he emigrated to the USA, where he continued his career as a painter, becoming one of the most prominent artists of the emigration. Ilya Schenker's personal exhibitions took place in New York, London, Geneva, Venice, Bologna, Monte Carlo, Washington, Toronto and, of course, Odessa.