In December 2018, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the AVC Charity Foundation presented the interdisciplinary project «Following the Traces of Gumilyov» by Vasily Vlasov and Mikhail Pogarsky, which combines visual art, literature, geo-ethics, history and ethnography. The exhibition was built on the basis of the eponymous «art expedition» to Ethiopia, carried out in April 2017 by Vasily Vlasov and Mikhail Pogarsky. The project considers new methods of working with space, memory, art genres and the legacy of the poet, translator and explorer of Africa, Nikolay Gumilyov. Having repeated the route of Gumilyov’s journeys across the African continent, the artists rediscover the «witching country», develop and transform the poet’s ideas, inviting viewers to join the journey. The performance of the «Krugly Band» is based on Gumilyov’s Abyssinian Songs, as well as poems, in which the author turns to African themes. The composite thread is strung on the poem by Mikhail Pogarsky «Wandering Night as a Drunk Star» dedicated to Nikolay Gumilyov. In the performance you can see the art line characteristic of the «Krugly Band», where the plastic dances represent two spaces — the dancing actresses either go into ritual African dances or become external attributes of the action. Arkhangelsk drummer Oleg Yudanov, specially invited to participate in this project, plays African percussion, combining its sound with a traditional drum set.

Mikhail Pogarsky — voice
Krugly Band:
Alexey Kruglov — alto sax, voice, piano
Vladimir Kruglov — voice, guitar, piano
Alesia Ignatova — voice, plastic dance
Polina Kuzmina — voice, plastic dance
Vadim Pravilov — double bass, voice
Special guest: Oleg Yudanov — drums, percussion
Poems, lyrics by Nikolay Gumilyov, Mikhail Pogarsky
Director, composer: Alexey Kruglov
Recording: Yury Rukavishnikov
Mixing: Alexey Kruglov, Vladimir Kruglov
Filmed by Arseny Bychkov, Egor Kochubey, Peter Nikolaev
Video editing, film director: Sergey Garkavy
Moscow Museum of Modern Art.
Opening the exhibition «Following the Traces of Gumilyov». 13.12.2018