Ilya Kabakov's Memoirs on Moscow's Unofficial Art Scene Published in Vienna
In 1999, Ilya Kabakov's memoirs, 'The Sixties' and 'The Seventies,' were released by the Wiener Slawistischer Almanach, offering insights into the unofficial Soviet art scene during the Brezhnev era. As a conceptual artist, Kabakov sought to document life in the USSR, intertwining his artistic experiences with commentary on fellow artists. He highlights personalism as a central theme and discusses trends involving figures like Oskar Rabin. His artistic journey spans early Abstract Expressionism, metaphysical creations, and a 'social' phase utilizing Soviet materials. The memoirs, which are part of his reflective body of work, include anecdotes, contradictions such as the redating of the 'Russian Series,' and his monologue 'Apologiya personalizma v iskusstve 60-kh godov,' along with remarks from Erik Bulatov and Oleg Vasilyev.
Key facts
- Ilya Kabakov's memoirs 'The Sixties' and 'The Seventies' were published in full for the first time in 1999 by Wiener Slawistischer Almanach.
- The memoirs were written in 1982 and 1983, during the late Brezhnev era, as Kabakov reflected on the unofficial Moscow art scene.
- Kabakov documents the absence of a normal art scene in the Soviet Union and categorizes artists into groups based on their responses.
- Personal anecdotes include stories about teaching methods, studio conditions, and obtaining a loft at Sretensky Boulevard.
- The publication includes additional texts like Kabakov's monologue on personalism, an essay, album lists, and statements by Erik Bulatov and Oleg Vasilyev.
- Kabakov's work evolved from early drawings to metaphysical paintings, albums, and a 'social' period using Soviet everyday materials.
- Influences on Kabakov included Aleksandr Komar and Vitaly Melamid, shaping his turn to semiotics of Soviet life.
- The 'Table of Hope and Fear' graphically depicts artists' emotional states during political shifts like the Manege and Bulldozer exhibitions.
Entities
Artists
- Ilya Kabakov
- Erik Bulatov
- Oleg Vasilyev
- Oskar Rabin
- Aleksandr Komar
- Vitaly Melamid
- Vasily Sitnikov
- Vladimir Raykov
Institutions
- Wiener Slawistischer Almanach
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Moscow
- Russia
- Soviet Union
- Sretensky Boulevard