Arseny Zhilyaev on Art, Activism, and Education in Russia

In a 2012 interview with Silvia Franceschini for Afterall, Moscow-based artist, writer, and political activist Arseny Zhilyaev discusses his practice linking art and social production. He initiated 'Pedagogical Poem' (April 2012) with historian Ilya Budraitskis at the Presnya Historical Memorial Museum (formerly Museum of Revolution), featuring lectures and workshops on contemporary art, history, and critical theory. The project ran from March to November 2012, leading to the exhibition 'The Archive of the Future Museum of History' (on view until 6 January 2013). Zhilyaev argues that educational formats can change Russia's political situation, contrasting with isolated actions by Voina or Pussy Riot. He co-founded the Union of Creative Workers (2009) with Masha Chehonadskih and Nikolay Oleynikov, and later the May Congress (2010) focusing on creative workers' rights. His exhibition 'The Museum of Proletarian Culture: The Industrialisation of Bohemia' at the State Tretyakov Gallery (2012) referenced Alexey Fedorov-Davydov's 1930 'Experimental Marxist Exhibition', juxtaposing Soviet Realist paintings, fictional amateur works, and digital creativity. Zhilyaev's installation 'Forthcoming Dawn' (2012) in Venice offered free laundry service on Giudecca Island, critiquing the imperative to be creative. He views art as needing to accept its own death to become a political event, and uses curatorial methods akin to mockumentary, inspired by early Soviet experimental museum practices.