The collective “Buried Alive”, first established by the author and artist Maxim Komar-Myshkin (1978-2011), was an intimate and closed society of young artists, actors, musicians and authors from the former Soviet Union that were active in Israel during the first decade of the 21st century. “Buried Alive”, as their name implies, considered themselves to be cultural zombies. Their position stemmed from their abandonment of the Russian culture they had left behind, and their complete alienation from the Israeli culture surrounding them, which they regarded as inherently inferior. They also struggled with enormous difficulties and undermining of their self-confidence due to this cultural isolation. They saw themselves as the next generation of autonomous living, the private and unacknowledged life that has always typified avant-garde groups, such as Oberiu of the 1930s and the Moscow scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s. “Buried Alive” created various video works that were primarily exhibited in private and inaccessible venues. These generally sought to depict the values stated in the collective’s manifesto, and dealt with history and death, magic and the relations of mainstream and margins. Now, for the first time, these works will be presented in an open setting for the Israeli public.
The CDA's archives are operating with the support of the Ostrovsky Family Fund and Artis
