The opening of the summer exhibition season and the program of the 10th anniversary

This summer, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art celebrates its 10th anniversary. Founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich, it has become a symbol of the changes in Moscow’s cultural life. Garage has constantly transformed the accepted idea of what a museum can and should be today, demonstrating on a daily basis that a contemporary institution is not simply a space for art, but a place where every visitor can have new experiences.

The summer season projects reflect the key principles of the Museum’s work: as a place where people art and ideas make history, through celebrating the past, activating the present, and building the future for culture in Moscow.

In 2018, Vremena Goda, the building where Garage is located, is fifty years old. This anniversary is marked by the exhibition “Did You Have a Good Time?” Vremena Goda Café since 1968 (June 8–September 2), which tells the story of this Modernist building and the popular Soviet café that it was first designed to accommodate.

In a light-hearted look at the Museum’s audience, the project “Dear Visitors…” (June 8–August 26) examines how Garage has changed and developed alongside its visitors.

With the exhibition Infinite Ear (June 8–September 2), Tarek Atoui, Lendl Barcelos, Goda Budvytytė, Valentina Desideri, Myriam Lefkowitz, and Alison O'Daniel offer visitors the opportunity to hear, feel, comprehend, imagine, and produce sound in new ways with the help of unusual musical instruments and the performative mediation A (Mis)reader’s Guide to Listening. Curated by Council, this project is an important stage in one of the main areas of the Museum’s work, its Inclusive Program. The team behind Infinite Ear includes deaf and hard of hearing people.

A large-scale exhibition by German photographer Juergen Teller, Zittern auf dem Sofa (June 8–August 19), celebrates the FIFA World Cup, which takes place in Russia this summer.

The digital world of the present and future is the theme of the project IAM (June 8–August 26), which considers what the contemporary museum could be. It concludes code-verse, a new audio-visual installation by Japanese artist and musician Ryoji Ikeda (July 19–August 26), organized together with Centre Pompidou, Paris.

The 2018 cohort of Garage Teens Team, a two-year education project for high school and first-year university students, has created the interactive installation Handmade Future (May 18–September 2), which shows how today’s young people envisage the museum of the future.

Throughout the summer, the Museum will host music, dance, and theatre performances within the program Garage Live, and concerts as part of Mosaic Music: Sampha (May 23), Ibeyi (June 13), Leon Bridges (July 9), Ryoji Ikeda (July 18), and Sevdaliza (August 20). The latest edition of the annual newspaper Garage Gazette, which will be published for the summer season opening, will provide visitors with more detailed information on the Museum’s activities.

The Garage 10th anniversary press conference will take place on the morning of June 6. The summer season preview for patrons and partners is that evening.

GARAGE cardholders can see the summer season exhibitions on June 7, a day before the public opening. Guided tours will be available during the day and in the evening DJ Andrei Pirumov will play on Garage Rooftop, which is usually only open to GARAGE cardholders on Sundays.

On June 8, the Museum’s exhibitions will open as usual, and from 17:00 to 20:00 admission is free as part of UNIQLO Free Friday Nights.

On June 10, at the beginning of the Russia Day holiday weekend, Garage will mark its 10th anniversary with a program of events for visitors of all ages. Admission to the Museum is free with prior registration.

On this day visitors can expect:

• special guided tours by Garage staff of the Museum building;
• masterclasses for children and adults;
• a contemporary art quiz;
• music for all tastes: jazz for all the family in Garage Atrium, operatic arias and 1970s hits by Bolshoi Theater young opera singers within the exhibition “Did You Have a Good Time?”, street music performances on Garage Square, and a “silent music” concert in the Library;
• a surprise performance on the central staircase ad within the Juergen Teller exhibition;
• a performance by Theater of Mutual Operations in the Museum’s Cloakroom;
• a lounge zone on Garage Rooftop, where there is a pavilion for Garage members, patrons, and partners;

and much more.

The day will end with a happening by artists LPWA on Garage Square, which is open to all.

Together with artists from across the world, Garage has produced a special series of gifts to mark its 10th anniversary. The Museum has also created its own memory game, with cards featuring works by artists with whom Garage has worked over the past ten years, including Ilya Kabakov, Louise Bourgeois, and Takashi Murakami.

Swiss artist Urs Fischer, who is an old friend of Garage, has created his own version of the Museum’s logo, decorating it with stylized images of animals, birds, plants, and various celebratory symbols. These designs will be available on charm bracelets, T-shirts, and hoodies for adults and children.

Garage has joined the Museum League, alongside the Prado in Madrid and New York’s New Museum, Guggenheim Museum, and Brooklyn Museum. Artist Maurizio Cattelan, has created a football scarf for Garage using the Museum’s logo.

Juergen Teller has designed a very special T-shirt for Garage, with an inscription which he came up with and drew himself.

All gifts are limited editions.

The program of events and timetable are available on the Museum website and on the special anniversary landing page. The anniversary gift collection will be available in Garage bookshop and online.