The Sverdlovsk-based art group Uktuss School (1964–1974) was one of the early Soviet regional collectives of nonconformist artists that emerged after World War II.
The key collaborators of the School’s leader Anna Tarshis (Ry Nikonova) were poet and philologist Sergey Sigov (Sergey Sigey), Russian avantgarde expert, art theorist, and designer Valery Dyachenko, designer and creator of documentary practices Evgeny Arbenev, and the creator of a «bio-rhythmic diary» Alexander Galamaga. Together, the Uktuss artists studied and translated international art journals, published their own journal Nomer (a single copy), and invented original means of artistic communication.
Their work with multiple genres and styles, combining amateurism with professionalism and theory with constant invention of new practices, and their borrowings from contemporary humanities and technical though make the Uktuss School a complex phenomenon. The talk will look into their diverse legacy.
