Three Art Exhibitions to Visit in January
The diversity of visual arts never ceases to amaze—and three new Moscow exhibitions focusing on different time periods and genres let visitors appreciate it. From 1900s avant-garde paintings to contemporary gravure rooted in folk traditions, these exhibition concepts are sure to appeal to art lovers.
Archetypes of Avant-Garde
The State Tretyakov Gallery has opened a new exhibition that analyses Russian avant-garde painters through the prism of 12 archetypes, a popular theory coined by educator Carol Pearson. The theory describes the diverse psychological patterns people tend to fall into throughout their life—such as Creator, Ruler, Rebel, and others. The archetypes as reflected in an artist’s work may give a fascinating insight into their mind, highlighting the underlying motives and tendencies of prominent figures which defined the avant-garde movement. The exhibition features a variety of early 20th century paintings, including those of Kazimir Malevich, Vasily Kandinsky, Georgy Yakulov, and Olga Rozanova. Each specific archetype is described in detail, and visitors are encouraged to reflect on their own experience as well.
Exhibition of the 6th Moscow Art Prize Nominees
The 6th instalment of the Moscow Art Prize competition features over 30 artworks from contemporary artists exploring different themes and styles. Among the nominees are ‘SVOYASI. The Path of Contemporary Art’, a project that delves into national traditions in art; the retrospective of works by Igor Shelkovsky ‘Heavenly City. The Artist’s Studio’; the Fifth Triennial of Textile Art and Contemporary Tapestry ‘Diversity of Connections: Threads, Breaks, Bonds’; ‘And I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth,’ an exhibition by Anton Belikov and Svetlana Cheprova; and more. Interestingly, the exhibition space housing the artworks is decorated to reflect the many textures and materials of the city in different historic periods—with traditional wood, shining composite reminiscent of gilded domes, 80s facade tiles, and modern concrete.
Open until January 21
Where: 6 Varvarka Ulitsa, Zaryadye Park, Exhibition Hall in the Media Center
Price: 450 RUB
Purchase tickets here (site in Russian)
Gravure as a Family Trade
The Museum of Russian Lubok and Naive Art, with the help of the Ilya Glazunov Gallery, is hosting a new exhibition dedicated to gravure and xylography—wood engraving—created by two artists, father and daughter Vladimir Kosynkin and Darya Kosynkina. Visitors will get a chance to see Vladimir’s famous collections of festive and fairy tale-inspired gravures and prints, as well as Darya’s mythological and folklore-infused wood engravings, which are close in spirit to the Russian lubok tradition of the 17th–20th centuries. The exhibition, called ‘Gravure as a Family Trade,’ showcases the aesthetic value of less-known forms of visual art and reflects on the familial ties interwoven into them.
Open until March 1
Where: 10 Maly Golovin Pereulok
Price: free for students, with registration available here (site in Russian)