Smart Museum presents Viktor Koretsky's Soviet propaganda posters in Chicago exhibition
From September 29, 2011, to January 22, 2012, the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago presented 'Vision and Communism,' which featured close to ninety artworks by Viktor Koretsky, a Soviet artist. The exhibition, curated by Robert Bird, Christopher Heuer, Matthew Jesse Jackson, Tumelo Mosaka, and Stephanie Smith, with Richard A. Born, highlighted Koretsky's propaganda art from the post-World War II era. Noteworthy pieces included 'Africa Fights, Africa Will Win!' (1971) and 'Justice American-Style' (circa 1970s). The display incorporated audio elements, comparative timelines, and focused on the artistic process. This exhibition was part of the citywide Soviet Arts Experience and contextualized Koretsky's work with quotes from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Nelson Mandela.
Key facts
- Exhibition ran September 29, 2011 to January 22, 2012
- Featured nearly 90 works by Viktor Koretsky
- Largest show of Koretsky's work in America to date
- Part of Chicago-wide Soviet Arts Experience festival
- Included billboard installations across Chicago
- Curated by five curators including Matthew Jesse Jackson
- Incorporated audio of Nelson Mandela and South African protest songs
- Followed Art Institute of Chicago's Soviet TASS poster exhibition
Entities
Artists
- Viktor Koretsky
- Robert Bird
- Christopher Heuer
- Matthew Jesse Jackson
- Tumelo Mosaka
- Stephanie Smith
- Richard A. Born
- John Spelman
- Abbey Shaine Dubin
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
- Nelson Mandela
- Paul Robeson
Institutions
- Smart Museum of Art
- University of Chicago
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Princeton University
- Krannert Art Museum
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Shifter
- Occupy Chicago
- Soviet Arts Experience
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- South Africa
- Soviet Union
- New York
- Vietnam