Russian Improbable

On the second birthday, the Zotov Center presented the exhibition "Russian Improbable". The project proposes to explore cultural phenomena that are reflected in the methods of constructivism. The exhibition will combine works of Russian art from the Middle Ages to the present day: ancient Russian painting and kinetic art, constructivism and nonconformism, avant-garde and modern art. The exhibition features works by the artists of the MYTH gallery Alina Glazoun and Vadim Mikhailov.

Among the questions of what constructivism is and how to understand it, there is another one — where did it originate from. The historical picture of the birth of constructivism has been recreated by researchers quite accurately and fully, but it is contradictory. Constructivists in the 1920s declared: constructivism is a method. They strove for a single theoretically grounded concept. But it turned out to be multifaceted and ambiguous. What is the reason for the inconsistency of constructivism and why did it turn out that way?

The curators suggest looking for an answer to this question by analysing the features of space, thinking and archetypes characteristic of the Russian cultural landscape. The exposition will guide the visitor through the searches and discoveries of artists through the topics of the exhibition: "Immeasurably", "Forever", "Just about", "In the Middle", "Alive", "Skyward", "Famously", "Uncontrollably", "Beyond", "Contrary". They will introduce the viewer to the phenomena fundamental to constructivism: focus on the process, not on the result; variability of value orientations; unification in the name of a global idea; propensity to extremes; irrepressible aspirations.  The selection of themes and exhibits is based on a transistorical approach, which implies building a dialogue between different directions. It allows us to shift the focus of attention from the chronology of constructivism to understanding the deep essence of this artistic and cultural phenomenon.

Photo: Daniil Annenkov, Varvara Toplenikova. Provided by the press service of the Zotov Center