Hermes Zygott
Hermes Zygott is a painter, musician, performer, and a poet.
Hermes Zygott was born and brought up in Leningrad (St Petersburg). In 1988 he left Russia for Western Europe, then he moved to the United States where he associated and was taught by maîtres of the modern American art. He was deeply involved in the issues of impact of the modern art on the society and explored how the modern art can be helpful in changing standards of living and environment of the society. Hermes is equally successful in all his undertakings whether drawing or directing an orchestra.
All his creative work is devoted to expanding human perception and mental outlook. Hermes is experimenting with sound to create special soundscape where listeners can have a mystery tour to hiding corners of human consciousness. He uses different techniques of phonation playing both archaic and modern instruments. He is a creator of musical instrument “Root of Sound”, encourager and director of the Orchestra of Unknown Instruments, co-founder of artistic group “Gazgolder” (“Gasholder”).
His solo audiovisual performances have taken place at many world famous museums such as the Hermitage Museum and the State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), Museum of Applied Arts ( Vienna). He took part in numerous multi-authored projects such as the project “Veryu!” (I Believe) on the Second Moscow Biennale, the project “Moscow. TsUM. Graphical Liturgy” on the Third Moscow Biennale and the project “Tetraktis” on the Fifth Moscow Biennale of the Modern Art. He also participated in the 54th Biennale in Venice (video installation “1610” in San Rocco church in cooperation with Oleg Kulik and Denis Kryuchkov), in 55th Biennale in Venice (the performance “Levitation”, in cooperation with Oleg Kulik, it was part of the exhibition “Lost in Translation”) and the First Biennale in Kyiev (the installation “Tea Symphony” , as part of the project “Apocalypse and Renaissance in the Chocolate House”).
He was a sound producer of the liturgy-performance of Monteverdi's “Vespers for the Blessed Virgin” (Vespro della Beata Vergine) which was staged in Theatre du Chatelet in Paris in 2009 – this performance was displayed in a form of audiovisual installation on the 54th Biennale in Venice and on the First Biennale in Kyiev. He creates soundscapes for many galleries and exhibitions of the modern art. He is one of the main ideologists and the founder of the Satunaliy Foundation for Cultural Innovation. The picturesque works of Hermes can be found in private and museum collections. In his role of an Actual Member of Voronezh Academy of Arts he is conducting workshops on modern art and the art of performance. He is taking part in co-projects with a composer-philosopher Vladimir Martynov
