Ilya and Emilia Kabakov Dialogue with Olgiati Collection at LAC Lugano

At LAC Lugano's Spazio -1, the exhibition 'The Kabakovs and the Avant-Gardes' runs until January 8, 2017. Ilya and Emilia Kabakov present five large paintings, a sculpture, and an installation alongside works from the Olgiati Collection. In an interview, Emilia Kabakov praises the Olgiatis for collecting quality over names, noting 'imperceptible connections of soul' between works. The Kabakovs see formal similarities with historical avant-gardes in color, geometry, and utopian ideals, but emphasize that avant-garde art focused on form and cosmic forces, lacking human emotions. Their marble sculpture 'Two Faces or The Egg' (2000) symbolizes dormant and awakening life, contrasting with futurist faith in progress. They reflect on the recursive nature of history, noting that the 21st century began with similar hopes as the 20th but now faces terrorism and cultural divides. The exhibition structure creates a constructivist 'cage' that isolates each work while connecting past and present. The Kabakovs are also preparing a retrospective at Tate London in October 2017, where they rediscovered Ilya's first conceptual painting from 1964, thought lost.