Concrete Dates Collective Reflects on Utopian Exhibition Inspired by 1918 Yiddish Novella

The Yermilov Center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, hosted the exhibition 'In Edenia, a City of the Future' from June 8 to July 9, 2017. Curated by Larissa Babij and Yevgeniy Fiks, the exhibit drew inspiration from Kalman Zingman's 1918 Yiddish novella depicting a serene, advanced Kharkiv. Artists such as Babi Badalov and Nikita Kadan contributed pieces envisioning artifacts from the imagined museum of this fictional city. The Concrete Dates Collective showcased 'Three Paintings in the Exhibition,' which contemplated the idea of utopia and its decline. Babij highlighted the contrast between Zingman's perspectives and the early Soviet avant-garde, while Badalov's mural 'NO(W) FUTURE' examined themes of absence, encouraging contemplation of utopian aspirations amidst Ukraine's ongoing conflict since 2014.