Russia
Moscow
2018
52
Russian
English, Russian
In a nutshell
The exhibition is dedicated to one of the most enigmatic, mysterious, and controversial philosophers of the USSR and his famous anthology of polemical texts, The Crisis of Ugliness, which criticizes the art of the 20th century. The retrospective showcases never presented before archive documents, Lifshitz’s texts, and artworks in ten interiors, each representing a milestone in the development of modernism or Lifshitz’s thought: 10 rooms – 10 stages of Soviet history – 10 knots in Lifshitz’s biography. The project is the first large-scale analysis attempt of the tense relationship between so-called progressive art and politics in the XX-XXI century.
Why should you watch this?
This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in the deep connections between art, politics, and society. Lifshitz’s The Crisis of Ugliness offers a rare Soviet critique of modernism, challenging Cubism and Pop Art in ways that still resonate today. The exhibition’s exploration of these ideas through archival materials, artworks, and Lifshitz’s own writings sheds light on the complex relationship between avant-garde art and political ideology. In a time of global crisis, Lifshitz’s critiques are more relevant than ever, inviting viewers to reconsider the role of art in shaping social consciousness.
Curators(s)
Dmitry Gutov
BioDmitry Gutov (b. 1960) is a prominent Russian artist and art theorist based in Moscow. He works across various media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and video. A graduate of the Saint Petersburg Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Russian Academy of Arts (1992), Gutov emerged in the early 1990s Moscow art scene. His work often explores Marxist aesthetics, referencing Soviet art from the 1920s to the 1960s. He has participated in significant international events, including the Venice Biennale and Documenta, and has held solo exhibitions in major venues such as the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and Pushkin State Museum.
David Riff
BioDavid Riff (b. 1975) is a writer, artist, and curator based in Berlin, active in socially driven art and a member of the Russian collective Chto Delat. He co-edited its newspaper from 2003 to 2008. Riff has published notable monographs on Soviet non-conformist artists Vadim Sidur (2000) and Vladimir Yankilevsky (2002) and regularly contributes to influential art publications, including Flash Art, documenta 12 magazines, Moscow Art Magazine, Rethinking Marxism, Springerin, and Third Text. His curatorial and artistic collaborations often engage with Marxist theory and the implications of socio-economic transformations in post-socialist societies. In collaboration with Dmitry Gutov, he presented The Karl Marx School of the English Language at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007.
