Victor Tupitsyn's 'The Museological Unconscious' Analyzes Russian Unofficial Art from 1950s to Present

In his 2009 publication, 'The Museological Unconscious. Communal (Post)Modernism in Russia,' Victor Tupitsyn explores the realm of unofficial Russian art from the late 1950s onwards, released by MIT Press. This 339-page work merges Western critical theory with the practices of Russian conceptualism. As an émigré following the 1974 Bulldozer Exhibition, Tupitsyn employs Lacanian psychoanalysis to delve into the notion of a 'communal unconscious' that mirrors Soviet experiences. He emphasizes the ways artists like Ilja Kabakov tackled taboo themes through communal imagery. Reviewer Raoul Eshelman points out Tupitsyn's somewhat dismissive references to critic Boris Groys, who is cited merely three times. The concept of the 'museological unconscious' is thoroughly articulated in Chapter 10, and the book serves as a vital historical narrative, enhanced by personal photographs. This review appeared on September 2, 2009.