Zwy

MILSHTEIN

1934-2020

Profile & Bio

“Citizens your papers! “ This sentence terrified us all, but especially my mother! (What a coincidence for soon after she worked on sorting old rags for a Soviet Union paper mill). I remember, we were taken off the train to Krasnodar because we were missing some papers. The undocumented! It still exists.  This time, I have my papers. They are in good standing. At 14, I was able to do my first engraving on zinc. There, I began to realise the importance of paper, but it took me a very long journey through time to truly discover the paper and all its splendour.  The paper matrix and surface of my identity. Between the lines of used notebooks where we wrote our homework and the wonders of the “Lamali” shop in Paris (magical meeting of the most beautiful papers in the world) more than half a century ago. It has become my favourite medium even in painting. It is as beautiful poetically and in any case inseparable from the images it carries. Yes, paper fascinates me!” ~Zwy Milshtein A painter, sculptor, engraver, illustrator, writer and rated chess player, Milshtein was born on the 25th of June 1934 in Kishinev (Moldova), then a province of Romania. His family belonged to the town’s moneyed, Jewish bourgeoisie; his father, Isaac, a prosperous businessman, head of a cooperative bank, worked for the Jewish-American Organization. In 1939, Soviet forces entered Moldavia as a result of the pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviets. Isaac Milshtein was arrested and deported to Siberia, convicted for having relations with a foreign power. Milshtein’s home was seized and the family was forced to leave their home town. They never saw their father again. In 1941, escaping the Nazi offensive, the family fled to the Soviet Union where they lived for the next few years. After the war and the creation of the State of Israel, the family eventually moved to Tel Aviv where Zwy continued his art education and started to exhibit his works. In 1956 he obtained a grant from the Norman Foundation, allowing him to go to Paris. He lived in France from then onwards. Zwy Milshtein died on 4 February 2020 at the age of 85. Milshtein by Robert Albouker (2017) “Milshtein was six at the outbreak of the Second World War and eleven as it drew to a close. Those formative years saw him swept along on a veritable Odyssey: hand in hand with his mother and older brother, they escaped their native Bessarabia ahead of the advancing Nazi armies. During two years, they fled back and forth across the vast area between the Aral and the Black Sea seeking refuge before finding it in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the winter of 1943. Their flight into the USSR followed the 1939 Soviet appropriation of the Romanian province of Moldavia and Milshtein’s father’s subsequent deportation to Siberia. By setting out, in search of the husband and father that they were never to see again, the little family was spared the tragic fate at the hands of Nazis that so many others would not be.  This period of exodus, stamped by dark visions of bombings, of famine and the deaths of fourteen million Russians, is at the core of Milshtein’s inspiration. It binds him to a nocturnal universe cross-hatched by images of railroad tracks, stabled locomotives, of rare treats of fried eggs, and of vodka drunk amongst the muzhiks they encountered on their way. These images, at once starkly illuminated by the glare of tragedy but suffused by the glow of humanity, were nourished during his adolescence in Israel by the stories their mother recounted, in answer to their questions on their years of wandering and of the strange circumstances which she, a woman not yet turned thirty, experienced in order to keep them alive. The images of their endless, almost burlesque, journey are superimposed on a backdrop of an inky darkness in which hover the countless spectres of all those never to be seen again. This exile, this mourning for a world redeemed by maternal love, is the keystone of Milshtein’s oeuvre. Trained at the outset of the Modern Art movement by teachers from the Bauhaus, first in Georgia, then Romania, Cyprus, Israel and finally in Paris, where he furthered his career from 1956, Milshtein evolved his unique vision, playing on the glow of naked, female flesh set against all that pierces the shadow cast by its brightness, rather than revisiting the horrors drawn deep from the well of his memories. Painter, engraver, sculptor, writer, paper-maker, book-maker, chess-player, lover of Love and of vodka, Milshtein thrived in the half century after the war as a protean artist, enamoured by color, as by the written word and the twinkle in a beautiful eye.” Milshtein by Milshtein “More faithful than dogs, more fearsome than the plague, bearer of our joys and misfortunes, the silent reflection of our existence, our national identity, our food ration card and the map of our beloved homeland, the paper ! The coarse paper on which one prints the laws, the royal decrees and the banknotes. The fine paper used to wipe our tears and our ass. “Papers I hate you! “ Migrants mean trips. Travels mean borders. Borders mean papers or lack of papers according to … everyone and his luck. I remember a little Russian ditty on a little chick: The little chick cooked and fried The little chick wanted to live too He got caught He got arrested He was asked to show his papers No money ! No change? Fusillé !!!

Exhibitions /

Museums & Public Collections /

Main Editions

MAIN EXHIBITIONS 1957 Galerie Saint Placide, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1959 Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel – Solo exhibition 1960 Galerie Katia Granoff, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1962 Bodley Gallery, New York, USA – Solo exhibition Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem, Israel – Solo exhibition Chemerinsky Art Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel – Solo exhibition 1963 Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, Switzerland – Solo exhibition 1966 Brenato’s Museum Shop, Washington, USA – Solo exhibition The New Masters Gallery, New York, USA – Solo exhibition Galerie Le Creuset, Brussels, Belgium – Solo exhibition 1967 Tokyo Biennal, Japon Galerie Kieffer, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1968 London Graphic Art Gallery, London, Great Britain – Solo exhibition 1970 Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1973 Galleria San Sebastianello, Rome, Italy – Solo exhibition White Gallery, Lausanne, Switzerland – Solo exhibition Pushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia – Group Exhibition 1975 Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel – Solo exhibition Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland – Solo exhibition 1978 Artcurial, Paris, France Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1979 Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France – Group exhibition 1982 Maison des Arts, Créteil, France – Solo exhibition 1983 Galerie Area, Paris, France – Retrospective solo exhibition 1984 Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1985 Galerie Caroline Corre, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Pierre Lescot, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Grand Palais, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1986 Brandts Klaedefabrik, Odense, Denmark – Solo exhibition Galerie Kara, Geneva, Switzerland – Solo exhibition Galerie 44, New York, USA – Solo exhibition Galleri Mustad, Göteborg, Sweden – Solo exhibition 1987 Art Fair, Galerie Mustad, Stockholm, Sweden – Solo exhibition Institut Français, Malmö, Sweden – Solo exhibition Galerie Klopfer, Zurich, Switzerland – Solo exhibition Maison de la Culture, Annecy, France – Solo exhibition 1988 Galerie Kara, Madrid, Spain – Solo exhibition Sundvalls Museum, Sweden – Solo exhibition 1989 Saga, Galerie Felman, Paris, – Group exhibition 1990 Galerie Katia Granoff, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Grand Palais, Paris, France – Group exhibition Galerie Chifflet, Nice, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Expression, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1991 Galerie Jean Briance, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Musée d’Allard, Montbrisson, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Médicis, Besançon, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Slotine-Perkowsky, Le Havre, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Hermès, Lyon, France – Solo exhibition Barbican Art Gallery, London, Great Britain – Group exhibition 1992 Galerie Chifflet, Nice, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Zur Kronr, Räterkinden, Switzerland – Solo exhibition C.I.E.S., Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1993 Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Musée de Toulon, France – Group exhibition Galerie Renaud Richebourg, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Maison de la Presse, Moscow, Russia – Solo exhibition 1994 Chapelle de l’Hôtel de Ville, Vesoul, France – Solo exhibition Musée de Vesoul, France – Solo exhibition Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Nicole Buck, Strasbourg, France – Solo exhibition Cloître des Dominicains, St. Emilion, France – Solo exhibition 1995 Musée d’Art Moderne, Troyes, France – Solo exhibition Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp, France – Solo exhibition 1996 Królikarnia Museum, Warsaw, Poland – Solo exhibition Maison de la Culture, Bourges, France – Solo exhibition 1997 Galerie les Filles du Calvaire, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Espace Rachi, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 1998 Goethe Institut, Frankfurt, Germany – Solo exhibition 1999 Bourlet Gallery, London, Great Britain – Solo exhibition Galerie Freihausgasse, Villach, Austria – Group exhibition 2000 Galerie Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Salle Kléber, Cergy Pontoise, France – Solo exhibition Museum of Contemporary Art, Sopot, Poland – Solo exhibition Museum of Russian Art, Kiev, Ukraine – Solo exhibition Institut Français d’Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine – Solo exhibition UAP Gallery, Kichinev, Moldova – Solo exhibition Museum of Modern Art, Cluj, Romania – Solo exhibition 2001 « Amour, Erotisme… », Original Gallery, Nice, France – Group exhibition State Gallery of Art, Sopot, Poland – Solo exhibition Galerie M. Bogense, Denmark – Solo exhibition Galerie Hoffstetter, Vienna, Austria – Solo exhibition Original Gallery, Nice, France – Solo exhibition 2002 « Objets Erotiques », Original Gallery, Nice, France – Group exhibition 2004 « Voyage autour d’un échiquier », Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 2006 « Vodka et Larmes », Galerie d’Art Contemporain, Chamalières, France – Solo exhibition « Transgressions » Renoma II, Galerie Meyer-Lebihan, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Garcia-Laporte, Paris, France – Group exhibition Rétrospective de gravures, Montluçon, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Kelman, Centre Rachi, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 2007 Summer Exhibition, Orangerie du Sénat, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France – Solo exhibition Espace Berggruen, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 2008 Musée Boucher-De-Perthes, Abbeville, France – Solo exhibition 2009 Musée des Moulages, Lyon, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Chybulski, Ville-sur-Jarnioux, France – Group exhibition 2010 Palais de Tau, Reims, France – Solo exhibition La Serre, Saint Etienne, France – Solo exhibition 2011 Galerie Area, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 2012 Galerie Anne-Marie & Roland Pallade, Lyon, France – Solo exhibition Musée de Sens, Sens, France – Solo exhibition 2015 Creation of frescos, stained glass windows and a clock, Keren Or synagogue, Villeurbanne, France Château de Vogüé, Vogüé, France – Solo exhibition Galerie Claire Corcia, Paris, France – Solo exhibition 2016 Cloître des Récollets, Metz France – Group exhibition Temple Neuf, Metz France – Group exhibition Galerie Hinter Dem Rathaus, Wismar, Germany – Solo exhibition Galleria UTOPIA, Rome, Italy – Solo exhibition 2022 Fondation Renaud, Lyon, France – Solo tribute exhibition Galerie Chybulski, Ville-sur-Jarnioux, France – Solo tribute exhibition 2023 « Chants d’Est », Orangerie du Sénat, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France – Solo exhibition MUSEUMS & PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Suisse. Museum of Modern Art, Eilat, Israel Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, Switzerland Göteborg Museum, Sweden Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem, Israel Bibliothèque Royale, Bruxelles, Belgique Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, France Centre Nationale des Arts Plastiques, Paris, France Kunstverein, Dusseldorf, Germany Musée à Lyon, France Odense Museum, Denmark Fonds National d’Arts Contemporains, Paris, France MAIN EDITIONS: « Vodka, harengs et quelques larmes », Editions Slatkine, Genève, 2017 « A vos papiers », Alin Avila. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 2012 « Fées et petites merveilles », Alin Avila. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 2007 « Boîte à secrets », Alin Avila. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 2007 « Voyage autour d’un échiquier ». Editions Recherches, Paris, 2004 « Le chant du chien » Editions Cercle d’Art, Paris, 2001 « Petites confidences », Alin Avila. Editions Area, Paris, 2000 « Au dam d’âmes », Editions Slatkine, Genève, 1999 « Les sept verres », textes de Milshtein. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 1997 « Milshtein et ses secrets », Alin Avila. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 1995 « Milshtein monographie », Alin Avila. Editions Yeo pour Area, Paris, 1995 « Jouons avec Milshtein ». Editions association des Amis du Musée d’Art Moderne de Troyes, 1995. « Milshtein : passeport 91-92 ». Editions Fragments Collection Passeport, 1992 « Milshtein : estampes peintures », Marie-Odile Briot. Musée d’Allard-Montbrisson, éditeur, 1991. « Milshtein : écrits et acide », Caroline Benzaria. Editions Marval, Paris, 1989. « Zwy Milshtein », Jean-Luc Chalumeau. Editions Artidea, Zürich, 1987.