Russian Avant-garde: Pioneers and Direct Descendants traces the connections between the artworks by revolutionary pioneers of the early 20th century such as Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko and Mikhail Matyushin in comparison to the creations of the artists of the avant-garde second wave.
The most radical discoveries of the century manifested itself not only in the development of new forms, but also in the affirmation of innovative ways of overcoming prevalent traditional techniques and materials. This global experiment which aimed to literally transform the world was revived towards the end of the 1950s in the art of the descendants. These artists of the postwar generation shifted their focus mainly to movement, light and sound as fundamental elements of art.
The experimentation in media on view from the paintings to graphic art, photographs and model reconstructions are evidence of how the Russian avant-garde forever changed the course of not only art history, but architecture, scientific progress and technology.
This exhibition was curated by Irina Gorlova.
The State Tretyakov Gallery an internationally-acclaimed museum of vast renown, is also a major scientific, cultural, educational, and research complex in Russia. Ever since 1856, when merchant and museum benefactor Pavel Tretyakov first began acquiring his private collection, the Gallery has evolved over a century of war, transportation, renovation, and expansion, into the largest archive of Russian art in the world today. With over 190,000 paintings, sculptures, relics, and graphic works housed among several illustrious buildings across Moscow, the Gallery’s collection not only remains the ultimate historical resource for Russian art, but also stands testament to the changing tides of Russian life itself.
