Kabakov's 'The Happiest Man' installation and 'Two Mountains' paintings featured in dual-venue exhibition
The immersive installation 'The Happiest Man' by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov serves as the centerpiece of a dual-venue exhibition, initially developed for the Jeu de Paume in Paris in 2000 and currently displayed at Ambika P3. Attendees have the option to view patriotic Russian propaganda films from the 1930s to the 1950s either on a cinema screen or through a window in a recreated Soviet-era living space. The installation highlights its artificiality with disordered seat numbers and low-quality film projections. Additionally, the Sprovieri gallery showcases 'Two Mountains,' featuring around ten oil and watercolor pieces created between 2005 and 2012 that portray reflective mountain vistas. Ilya Kabakov, who turns eighty this year, began his career as a children's book illustrator in Cold War Russia, blending reality with fantasy in their art.
Key facts
- Ilya Kabakov turns eighty this year
- The Happiest Man installation was first created for Jeu de Paume in Paris in 2000
- The installation is presented at Ambika P3
- Viewers choose between cinema seating or a recreated Soviet-era living room
- Films shown are patriotic Russian propaganda from 1930s to 1950s
- Two Mountains exhibition features 10 oils and watercolours from 2005-2012
- Ilya Kabakov began career as children's book illustrator in 1950s Cold War Russia
- Kabakovs' immersive installations now sell for millions of dollars
Entities
Artists
- Ilya Kabakov
- Emilia Kabakov
- Mike Nelson
Institutions
- Jeu de Paume
- Ambika P3
- Sprovieri
- ArtReview
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Russia