Ilya Kabakov on Soviet Communal Apartment Documents and Conceptual Art Methods

In a 1999 interview with Pawel Polit, conceptual artist Ilya Kabakov discussed his installation "The Corridor of Two Banalities," created with Joseph Kosuth at Warsaw's Centre for Contemporary Art. Kabakov revealed that the installation incorporated authentic 1964-66 documents from Moscow communal apartments, featuring real signatures of actual residents. He described his artistic approach as belonging to the "delirious" type, akin to Goya, focusing on fantasies about the Soviet world rather than direct depictions. Kabakov explained that his work explores the tension between ideological language and individual sensibility, with a particular nostalgic mood permeating his installations. He emphasized that all language is borrowed and manipulated, with no authentic personal expression existing. The artist noted that visual elements in his collages often suppress textual meaning, requiring viewer engagement to uncover hidden messages. Regarding his collaboration with Kosuth, Kabakov identified a shared sense of humor as their common ground. He outlined three potential viewer roles for the installation: sympathetic reader, art historian, and casual observer questioning the work's necessity. Kabakov's career includes participation in Documenta IX (1992) and the Venice Biennale (1993), with representation by Ronald Feldman Gallery in New York.