Malevich Society Hosts Major Conference in New York, Reexamining the Artist's Legacy

In February 2004, the Malevich Society organized a two-day conference titled 'Rethinking Malevich' at the CUNY Graduate Center's Elebash Recital Hall in New York. The event commemorated the 125th anniversary of Kazimir Malevich's birth and drew scholars from the United States, Europe, Russia, and New Zealand. Society President Charlotte Douglas opened the proceedings, which coincided with a terrorist attack in Moscow that morning. Papers explored diverse aspects of Malevich's work and influence. John Bowlt discussed Fedor Rerberg's impact on Malevich's early development, while Irina Vakar's absent paper, presented by Douglas, compared Malevich's theories to those of José Ortega y Gasset. Elena Basner and Natalia Avtonomova analyzed Malevich alongside Wassily Kandinsky. Tatiana Goriacheva examined the polemics between Suprematism and Constructivism. Linda Boersma connected Malevich to the Dutch De Stijl movement. Myroslava Mudrak investigated his Ukrainian context. Adrian Barr analyzed Malevich's late writings. Pamela Kachurin presented on Malevich's bureaucratic role at GINKhUK. Konstantin Akinsha discussed avant-garde funerals. James Lawrence critiqued MoMA's interpretation of Malevich in relation to Minimalism. Éva Forgács addressed his reception in Western modernism. Irina Karasik explored his post-WWII influence in Russian art. Alexandra Shatskikh concluded with an analysis of his literary legacy. The conference featured discussions and a concluding reception.