In the 2014 leg of the lecture cycle, Sasha Obukhova will focus on Moscow artistic life from 1997 to 2000.
What makes the artistic legacy of the 1990s so important today, almost two decades on? The "incessant mutations" of the period? The radical political reforms? The destruction of the old system and construction of a new one? The survival of contemporary art in the absence of an art market and governmental support? All of these do matter, but perhaps the most significant factor is that Russian contemporary art in the new millennium has largely been the product of the 1990s. The careers of all today's prominent figures began two decades ago; the likes of Joseph Bakshtein, Olga Sviblova, Viktor Misiano, Aidan Salakhova, and Elena Selina all collaborated at this time on the creation of the existing artistic community. For aspiring art professionals and scholars, the 1990s was a period of seminal exhibitions and the establishment of new contemporary art institutions.
The 1990s Year-by-Year lectures are designed to accompany the second part of the Reconstruction exhibition, based on the unique materials from the Garage archive and organized by Ekaterina Foundation.
In the 2014 leg of the cycle, the head of Garage Archive, art historian and curator Sasha Obukhova will focus on Moscow artistic life in 1997-2000 and the major events and tendencies of the period, including the 1998 economic crisis, anticipation of the coming art market, Vladimir Putin's ascendancy, and the arrival of a new generation of artists who remain in the spotlight today. Obukhova was personally involved in the groundbreaking events of the late 20th century. Her story transcends dry critical analysis and provides a passionate commentary on the activities she documented many years ago.
