The Moscow Conceptualist , or Russian Conceptualist , artistic and literary movement began with the Sots art of Komar and Melamid in the early 1970s Soviet Union, and continued as a trend in Soviet nonconformist art into the 1980s. It attempted to subvert socialist ideology using the strategies of western conceptual art and appropriation art . It was an artistic counterpoint to Socialist Realism , and the artists experimented aesthetically in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, performance, and literature. As Joseph Bakshtein explained, "The creation of this nonconformist tradition was impelled by the fact that an outsider in the Soviet empire stood alone against a tremendous state machine, a great Leviathan that threatened to engulf him. To preserve one's identity in this situation, one had to create a separate value system, including a system of aesthetic values."
54-405: The central figures of the movement were Ilya Kabakov , Irina Nakhova , Viktor Pivovarov , Eric Bulatov , Andrei Monastyrski , Komar and Melamid , poets Vsevolod Nekrasov ( ru ), Dmitri Prigov , Lev Rubinstein , Anna Alchuk , Timur Kibirov, artist and prose writer Vladimir Sorokin , and also such writers as Viktor Yerofeyev and Julia Kissina . Mikhail Epstein explains why conceptualism
108-606: A Blue Fly and Yellow Pencil , 1990; 36. Mother and Son , 1990; 37. Two Memories About Fear , 1990; 38. I Will Return on April 12... , 1990; 39. Illustrations for a Bible , 1991; 40. My Motherland. The Flies , 1991; 41. The Targets , 1991; 42. The Red Wagon , 1991; 43. The Commentary of O. Egorova , 1991; 44. The Glue , 1991; 45. Whose Are Those Wings? , 1991; 46. Monument to the Division of Normandie-Niemen , 1991; 47. Repairs , 1991; 48. The Communal Kitchen , 1991; 49. Ripped Off Landscape , 1991; 50. The Mental Institution or
162-574: A Lost Civilization is at once the most comprehensive retrospective to date and Kabakov's grandest statement. Originally exhibited in Palermo , Italy , in 1999, the monument includes 38 installations out of a self-declared oeuvre of 140 artworks. The installations within Monument were chosen because they all reference the Soviet Union, or the lost civilization. The monument serves as a reminder to
216-614: A Lost Civilization , 1999; 142. 'The Ring' - Day Five. The Day After , 1999; 143. The Old Reading Room , 1999; 144. Life and Creativity of Charles Rosenthal , 1999; 145. The Globe in a Different Topographical System , 1999; 146. The Old Bottle , 1999; 147. The Arriving Archive , 1998; 148. The Happiest Man , 2000; 149. The Painting as Assignation , 1998; 150. Vibrators on the Wall , 2000; 151. The Golden Apples , 2000; 152. 50 Installations , 2000; 153. The Rice Fields , 2000; 154. Wordless , 2000; 155. The Fountain , 2000 Created in 1984,
270-410: A Lost Glove. From the 17th through the 19th centuries, the ability to create a sonnet, eulogy, or epigraph was highly valued. By the end of the “iron twentieth century” the literary tradition had been lost. “To resurrect it is the goal of our project”, the artist declares. Therefore, the glove symbolizes the lost tradition of poetic verse and the ability to “shroud…thoughts in poetic form.” Monument to
324-406: A blue sky filled not with clouds but apparently with an airshow of biplanes, hot-air balloons, and zeppelins. Benches are placed opposite the mural, allowing the viewer to rest and take in the music and imaginary scenery. At the rear of the wagon a final door takes the viewer to a room strewn with piles of garbage, but, unlike most of Kabakov's other installations, a narrative is not offered to clarify
378-567: A central ring of columns is a smaller enclosure in the shape of a spiral, glowing from within and illuminating the otherwise dim interior of the Roundhouse. Built of wood, steel and fabric, the structure resembles Tatlin ’s Monument to the Third International . Kabakov’s building was ironically designed with less ambition than Tatlin’s but is far more functional. The text provided states, “the installation displays and examines
432-772: A distinguished gallerist with a keen eye for groundbreaking art. Vierny, after a visit in Moscow in the early 1970’s, committed to supporting artists resisting the constraints of socialist realism, discovered Kabakov. The fateful meeting occurred on the evening of January 16, 1970, when Vierny recognized Kabakov as an artist of exceptional originality, despite being unknown and prohibited from exhibiting in Moscow. Vierny's genuine interest in Kabakov's work transcended time, enduring for over 27 years. Despite Kabakov's infrequent exhibitions in Moscow, his drawings managed to captivate international audiences. Vierny not only encouraged Kabakov to leave
486-610: A secret attic studio in Moscow, Kabakov later recreated the piece in the United States at Ronald Feldman Gallery in 1988. The installation portrays a small, run-down bedroom with a large hole in the ceiling and propaganda photos covering the walls. The exhibition was widely reviewed, securing Kabakov's reputation in the New York art world. In 1989, Kabakov began working with his niece, curator and dealer Emilia Kanevsky, who would later become his wife and who emigrated from
540-446: A seemingly commonly known and even trivial truth: the world consists of a multitude of projects, realized ones, half-realized ones, and ones not realized at all.” Thus, despite the immediate reference to the Soviet Union's utopian project, the viewer is told that this installation refers to the entire world. The text continues and promises the viewer that within the palace are over 60 projects, some complete, many not, but one that, perhaps,
594-402: Is a literal question posed to viewers. A gallery is decorated with an exhibition of modern art, specifically small black-and-white photographs surrounded by white mats and black frames. Above the modern art hang the bottom portions of oversized, antiquated gold-leaf frames of 19th century paintings. The frames are cut off by the ceiling, as are two pairs of giant legs garbed in 19th century attire,
SECTION 10
#1732801497865648-442: Is attached to the ground and around it is placed a semicircle of nine metal music stands, each engraved with a text from a different imaginary character and written in poetic form. The texts, written in four languages (French, English, German and Russian), are recollections of the woman inspired by the dropped glove. In a text separate from, but pertaining to, the public project, Kabakov explains his focus of attention for Monument to
702-507: Is being addressed. In the Closet effectively updates Kabakov's earlier installations of the Soviet era communal living spaces by conflating the idea of privacy with a phrase, ‘in the closet’, that is almost universally defined as a hidden deviance from the norm. Thus, Kabakov finds the idea of utopia, a recurring interest of his, in anything but the average and everyday. More significant, perhaps,
756-532: Is particularly appropriate to the culture and history of Russia, but also how it differs from Western Conceptualism: In the West, conceptualism substitutes "one thing for another" — a real object for its verbal description. But in Russia the object that should be replaced is simply absent.values." Epstein quotes Ilya Kabakov : This contiguity, closeness, touchingness, contact with nothing, emptiness makes up, we feel,
810-519: Is the viewer's own and which will give meaning and significance to his life. The text insists that a life is worth living only if it has a project of some sort. The concept of the monument is a motif used throughout Kabakov's oeuvre. Monument to a Lost Glove was a public project created in 1996 for Lyon , France , to coincide with the G7 summit. Later in the year it was placed on the corner of Broadway and 23rd Street in New York. A red plastic woman's glove
864-776: The Tate Modern in London exhibited Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: Not Everyone Will Be Taken Into the Future and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. set up an exhibition Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: The Utopian Projects. National Museum of Norway (Norway) has "Søppelmannen" ['the garbage man'] on permanent display. List of art installations by Ilya Kabakov (1983-2000) Ilya Kabakov completed 155 installations between 1983–2000 , which were installed around
918-593: The Union of Soviet Artists in 1959 and became a full member in 1962. This was a prestigious position in the USSR and it brought with it substantial material benefits. In general, Kabakov illustrated children's books for 3 to 6 months a year and then spent the remainder of his time on his own projects. In the vibrant art scene of 1970s Moscow, Ilya Kabakov's unconventional talent found an unexpected champion in Dina Vierny,
972-760: The Car , 1995; 95. The Tennis Game , 1996; 96. Toilet on the River , 1996; 97. Music on the Water , 1996; 98. Destroyed Altar , 1996; 99. The Artist's Library , 1996; 100. On the Roof , 1996; 101. Monument to a Lost Glove , 1996; 102. Healing with Paintings , 1996; 103. Two Cabinets , 1996; 104. Wings , 1996; 105. Voices Behind the Door , 1996; 106. The Blue Carpet , 1997; 107. Treatment with Memories , 1997; 108. The Fallen Chandelier , 1997; 109. 20 Ways to Get an Apple Listening to
1026-536: The Closet of 2000 was another installation shown at the Venice Biennale in the Utopia Station pavilion, a group show without allegiance to any country, composed of a diverse collection of artworks. In the Closet resembles a simple wooden armoire crammed with decorations and belongings that suggest it was being used for someone's living space. The closet is dreary and drab, similar to the burrows in
1080-735: The Conspiracy of the Untalented , 1994; 80. The Corridor of Two Banalities , 1994; 81. In the Apartment of Viktor Nikolaevich , 1994; 82. Unrealized Projects , 1994; 83. The Red Corner , 1994; 84. Unfinished Installation , 1994; 85. This Will Happen Tomorrow! , 1995; 86. We Are Living Here , 1995; 87. The Rope of Life and Other Instllations , 1995; 88. Fallen Sky , 1995; 89. The School Library , 1995; 90. The Reading Room , 1995; 91. No Water , 1995; 92. Too Metaphysical , 1993; 93. An Extraordinary Incident , 1995; 94. The First Image of
1134-566: The Corner , 1989; 26. Trousers in the Corner , 1989; 27. Incident in the Corridor near the Kitchen , 1989; 28. The Metaphysical Man , 1989; 29. Exhibition of a Book , 1989; 30. He Lost His Mind, Undressed, Ran Away Naked , 1990; 31. Labyrinth. My Mother's Album , 1990; 32. In the Corner , 1990; 33. Three Russian Paintings , 1990; 34. Seven Exhibitions of a Painting , 1990; 35. Concert for
SECTION 20
#17328014978651188-677: The Edge , 1985; 9. The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment , 1985; 10. The Ship , 1985; 11. The Underground Golden River , 1985; 12. Concert for a Fly (Chamber Music) , 1986; 13. Box with Garbage , 1986; 14. Before Supper , 1988; 15. Ten Characters , 1988; 16. The Man Who Flew into His Picture , 1988; 17. The Untalented Artist , 1988; 18. The Short Man , 1988; 19. The Composer , 1988; 20. The Collector , 1988; 21. The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away (The Garbage Man) , 1988; 22. Children's Corner , 1988; 23. Three Nights , 1989; 24. Old Furniture and Little White Men , 1989; 25. The Garden/In
1242-871: The Floor (Someone's Crawling Under the Carpet) , 1998; 123. Cosmic Bottle , 1998; 124. The Painting on an Easel , 1998; 125. I Want to Go Back!(Reverse) , 1998; 126. A Solemn Painting , 1998; 127. He Has Hidden , 1998; 128. Two Windows (Two Tables) , 1998; 129. Catching the Rabbit , 1998; 130. The White Painting. Hospital , 1998; 131. Did You Know at Least...? , 1998; 132. And I Was Like You... , 1998; 133. Two Windows , 1998; 134. The Observer (The Illuminated Window) , 1998; 135. The Weakening Voice (The Column) , 1998; 136. We Are Free! , 1998; 137. Old Bridge , 1998; 138. The Last Step , 1998; 139. The Children's Hospital , 1998; 140. They Are Looking Down , 1998; 141. Monument to
1296-612: The Institute of Creative Research , 1991; 51. Toilet in the Corner , 1991; 52. In the Communal Kitchen , 1991; 53. The Bridge , 1991; 54. We Are Leaving Here Forever , 1991; 55. 52 Dialogues in the Communal Kitchen , 1991; 56. The Life of Flies , 1992; 57. Three Green Paintings , 1992; 58. In the Communal Kitchen: New Documents and Materials , 1992; 59. The Toilet , 1992; 60. Incident at
1350-738: The Museum or Water Music , 1992 61. The Blue Dish , 1992; 62. Illustration as a Way to Survive , 1992; 63. In Memory of Pleasant Recollections , 1992; 64. The Unhung Painting , 1992; 65. The Unhappened Dialogue , 1992; 66. The Big Archive , 1993; 67. The Empty Museum , 1993; 68. Rendez(-)Vous , 1993; 69. The White Cube , 1993; 70. The Red Pavilion , 1993; 71. Concert for a Fly , 1993; 72. The Boat of My Life , 1993; 73. Emergency Exit , 1993; 74. Unknown Guests , 1993; 75. The Deserted School or School #6 , 1993; 76. NOMA or The Moscow Conceptual Circle , 1993; 77. For Sale! , 1994; 78. The Operating Room (Mother and Son) , 1994; 79. The Artist's Despair or
1404-737: The Music of Mozart , 1997; 110. We Were in Kyoto , 1997; 111. Looking up, Reading the Words... , 1997; 112. The Palace of Culture in Fryasino (The Reading Room) , 1997; 113. My Grandfather's Shed , 1997; 114. The Hospital: Five Confessions , 1997; 115. In the Closet , 1997; 116. The Meeting , 1998; 117. The Palace of Projects , 1998; 118. 16 Installations , 1998; 119. Memorial to Useless Things , 1998; 120. Very Valuable Paintings , 1998; 121. Four Minimalist Paintings , 1998; 122. Someone's Crawling Under
1458-512: The Sicilians in Palermo who hope to create a new society. Emilia Kabakov warns, “Don’t repeat our mistakes, look at your dreams clearly, but don’t sacrifice the people in the name of ideology.” According to Kabakov's plans, Monument to a Lost Civilization is to exist below ground in a space without any windows, which might allow the viewer to find solace through the sight of the sky. The space
1512-519: The Soviet Union for broader recognition but also actively supported him by acquiring a substantial number of his works. This support was not limited to Kabakov alone; Vierny, upon her return, brought back works by other non-conformist artists such as Erik Boulatov and Vladimir Yankilevsky, known as the Group of Boulevard Sretensky. Together, these artists, despite differing styles, shared a common struggle against state-imposed artistic limitations, particularly
1566-619: The Soviet Union, thus giving “an idea of totalitarianism.” The concept of the sky as a route to escape is used repeatedly by Kabakov. Looking Up, Reading the Words is a public project that was installed in 1997 for the Skulptur.Projekte in Münster, Germany. The sculpture resembles a 50-foot-tall (15 m) radio antenna. At the top, aerials protrude horizontally creating an oblong shape. The aerials form lines on notebook paper and there are words made from metal letters sandwiched between, with
1620-774: The USSR in 1973. Kabakov had met her when she lived in Dnipropetrovsk. For three decades, the couple collaborated on numerous exhibitions, including Documenta in 1992, the Venice Biennale in 1993, the Whitney Biennial in 1997, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2004, and the Tate Modern and the Hirshhorn in 2017. Kabakov died on May 27, 2023, at the age of 89. Following Mikhail Chemiakin 's 1995 show, Ilya Kabakov had one of
1674-546: The apartment. Red Wagon was exhibited in 1991 at the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf , Germany . Compared to other installations, Red Wagon is rather simple. Entering a large gallery with a high ceiling, the viewer finds an unfinished wooden ramp and a series of ladders and platforms. Able to explore the construction, the viewer discovers the final ladder is directed upwards diagonally but does not lead anywhere. Moving past
Moscow Conceptualists - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-465: The artwork is justified. The message is left ambiguous, just as the very title allows the viewer to be the final judge of, and contributor to, the artwork. Since emigrating to the West, Kabakov's work has slowly and cautiously taken on new meaning. His installation at the 2003 Venice Biennale was an independent exhibition, rather than in the Russian or American pavilions. Kabakov's Where is Our Place?
1782-400: The basic peculiarity of 'Russian conceptualism'... It is like something that hangs in the air, a self-reliant thing, like a fantastic construction, connected to nothing, with its roots in nothing... So, then, we can say that our own local thinking, from the very beginning in fact, could have been called 'conceptualism'. The Moscow Conceptualist artists faced difficulties exhibiting their work in
1836-414: The communal apartments Kabakov had previously recreated, but with far fewer imaginative devices; even more notable is that nothing refers to the former Soviet Union, and it is only the knowledge of Kabakov's previous installations that lends itself to comparison. The diminutive installation does not offer text to further explain the closet, but the concept behind the group show, utopia, informs the viewer what
1890-475: The constraints of socialist realism. Vierny's commitment culminated in the groundbreaking exhibition "Russian Avant-Garde - Moscow 1973" at her Saint-Germain-des-Prés gallery, showcasing the diverse yet united front of non-conformist artists challenging the artistic norms of their time. Between 1983 and 2000, Kabakov created 155 installations . Of these, one of the best known installations is The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment . First created in 1985 in
1944-412: The criticism from a fictional artist, who denounces the series of events as a conspiracy. The final imaginary statement is from an art historian who accepts “the naturalness of this process.” The story is meant to be ironic, and maybe even critical, of the way in which the art world can work at times. Through the voice of the art historian everything from the creation to destruction and subsequent rebirth of
1998-551: The cultural atmosphere of the late Soviet Union. At the Manezh exhibit of 1962 , which featured the work of many aesthetic precursors to the Moscow Conceptualists, then- Party first secretary Nikita Khrushchev excoriated the art and artists he saw there. In 1974, at the infamous Bulldozer Exhibition , many Moscow Conceptualist artists had their work destroyed when the Soviet authorities brought in bulldozers to clear
2052-499: The field in which the exhibition was held. The art movement was largely ignored outside of the Soviet Union, and within it, it was confined to a narrow circle of Moscow artists and their friends. Ilya Kabakov Ilya Iosifovich Kabakov (Ukrainian: Ілля Іосифович Кабаков; Russian: Илья́ Ио́сифович Кабако́в; September 30, 1933 – May 27, 2023) was an American and Soviet conceptual artist, born in Dnipropetrovsk in what
2106-752: The first major solo exhibitions of a living Russian artist at the new State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2004. His works are included in the collections of the Zimmerli Art Museum, the Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg), Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, The Hermitage, Tretjakov Gallery (Moscow), Norway Museum Of Contemporary Art, the Kolodzei Art Foundation and museums in Columbus, Ohio, Frankfurt, and Köln, etc. In 2017
2160-418: The floor, from one wall to the other. Countless items hang from the strings and below each item a small piece of paper explains its origin. The character writes about garbage, lamenting that the world that surrounds him is a dump and wondering if every other country is likewise covered with garbage. He points out that the land, owned by no one, has become a dump and looms threateningly beyond the walls, submerging
2214-633: The man as 50 years old (approximately Kabakov's age when he created this work), who took some art classes when he was younger and now works for the state. The paintings resemble the crude works created for propaganda, agitation and advertisements for official events. The narrative suggests the works are “a dreadful mixture of hack-work, simple lack of skill.” Another character, The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away collects and treasures ordinary and discarded items. The walls are adorned with Three Green Paintings along with another of Kabakov's artworks; also called The Ropes, strings are tied in rows several feet above
Moscow Conceptualists - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-427: The man went into orbit authorities arrived and boarded up the room. In this room, three large canvases rest on the floor against the walls. Each canvas is divided in half horizontally and depicts various scenes, including a soccer match, a drawing class in an art academy, a group of workers, and three views of the countryside with assorted landmarks or industrial settings. The narrative of The Untalented Artist describes
2322-409: The only visible portions of the oversized exhibition. With the works Where is Our Place? and The Artist's Despair, Kabakov has moved from Soviet era conceptualism concerned with readdressing historical narratives to Western postmodernism that deals ironically with art for art's sake. His oeuvre, however, continues to evolve as some of his former motifs are altered to address new issues. Kabakov's In
2376-539: The pains and the neglected pleasures of reality.” The Artist’s Despair , or the Conspiracy of the Untalented of 1994 tells the story of an exhibition. The text informs the viewer that the three paintings, which are part of the work, are chosen for an exhibition. The night after the opening the artist returns and damages the artworks. An influential art critic then convinces the gallerists to add some props and call it an installation, which they do. Kabakov's text offers
2430-467: The setting. The Toilet is an installation that was erected in 1992 for Documenta IX in Kassel , Germany. Visitors entered a small building to find a public restroom containing six toilet stalls. The room, however, was filled with furniture and appeared to have been used as a living space with a bed, crib, dresser, nightstand and a table that looks as if it were in the midst of being set for dinner. There
2484-506: The sky used as a backdrop. The words, written in German, read: The text simultaneously directs the viewer's gaze to the sky and obstructs his view. Furthermore, as Iwona Blazwick points out, the transmission from the text crackles with irony: “Why was such an exquisite piece of new technology devoted to something so simple as a handwritten text? We had come here (to the park) to escape but, with his tender irony, Kabakov had reconnected us with
2538-475: The story as narrated by three of the other residents, one of whom happened to know the cosmonaut better than the others yet admits, “I didn’t know him well.” The room still contains the contraption, a gaping hole in the ceiling, and scientific drawings and diagrams tacked to a wall that is covered with wallpaper composed of old Soviet propaganda posters. A diorama of the town shows the man's expected projectile path into outer space. The text explains that shortly after
2592-452: The unpainted wooden construction, the viewer enters what might appear to an American to be a trailer home but which is modeled on a Russian wagon, which at one time could have been used as a railroad car. The exterior is decorated with Socialist Realist paintings. Music emanates from the wagon's darkened interior, and, upon crossing the threshold, the viewer finds a mural depicting an idyllic Soviet city, peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous, with
2646-462: The viewer enters the installation through a single door and is invited to visit the separate rooms, only one of which cannot be entered and must be viewed through cracks in a door that has been shoddily boarded up. The Man Who Flew into Space from His Apartment tells the story of one of the residents who built a catapult-like contraption to shoot himself through the roof into outer space, where he would travel on powerful streams of energy. A text describes
2700-464: The world. The series of albums Ten Characters (1972–1975) helped formulate much of Kabakov's later work. In the albums he offers the viewer a narrative of a fictional character, which, in 1983, he began to transform into complete immersive experiences. 1. The Ant , 1983; 2. Little White Men , 1983; 3. The Fly with Wings , 1984; 4. 16 Ropes , 1984; 5. Intellectual Screens , 1985; 6. Ten Albums , 1985; 7. The Rope of Life , 1985; 8. The Rope Along
2754-663: Was evacuated during World War II to Samarkand with his parents. There he started attending the school of the Leningrad Academy of Art which was evacuated to Samarkand. His classmates included the painter Mikhail Turovsky . After the war the Kabakov family moved to Moscow . From 1945 to 1951, he studied at the Moscow Art School; in 1957 he graduated from V.I. Surikov State Art Institute, Moscow, where he specialized in graphic design and book illustration . Unlike many underground Soviet artists, Kabakov joined
SECTION 50
#17328014978652808-475: Was more clutter left about and some of the toilet stalls became storage closets. As in many of Kabakov's installations, the viewer was left with the impression that the inhabitant had just stepped out and might return at any moment. The Palace of Projects is an installation that was originally conceived in 1998 for Roundhouse , an art space in London . Mimicking the building's structure and perfectly placed within
2862-664: Was then the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union , now Ukraine. He worked for thirty years in Moscow , from the 1950s until the late 1980s. After emigrating to the United States he lived and worked on Long Island . Ilya Iosifovich Kabakov was born on September 30, 1933, in Dnipropetrovsk. His mother, accountant Bertha Judelevna Solodukhina, and his father, locksmith Iosif Bentcionovitch Kabakov, were Jewish . Ilya
2916-438: Was to be designed like a cavernous lair impossible to navigate where visitors will get lost. They will ask directions to the garden and be told they must find the final room, only to discover the door to the garden, which the artist equate with paradise, locked. In part due to the monument's enormous size, viewers would enter and forget where the exit is, but never forget what is outside as they begin to feel an atmosphere resembling
#864135