Yevgeniy Fiks juxtaposes Ayn Rand text with Soviet imagery at Winkleman Gallery

From June 18 to July 30, 2010, Yevgeniy Fiks showcased 'Ayn Rand in Illustrations' at the Winkleman Gallery in New York. This project intertwines excerpts from Ayn Rand's 1957 work 'Atlas Shrugged' with imagery from the Soviet era, merging the principles of Western Objectivism with Socialist Realism. A realist painter educated in Moscow, Fiks utilizes propaganda visuals to investigate the 'ethical regime of images,' a concept introduced by Jacques Rancière. His work highlights the similarities between contrasting ideologies, both glorifying the 'man of reason.' Fiks characterizes these ideologies as 'symbiotic and interchangeable.' Critic Boris Groys notes the differences between Socialist Realism and Western aesthetic preferences. An altered illustration juxtaposes Rand's dollar sign with a Soviet statue, merging capitalist and communist symbols. Olga Kopenkina published the review on October 17, 2010, for ARTMargins Online.