The Advent of Abstraction: Russia, 1914-1923

The Russian Avant-Garde movement is a common term denoting a most remarkable art phenomenon that flourished in Russia from 1890 to 1930 which covered art, literature, cinema, sculpture, architecture and political propaganda. Work from this period is easily recognizable thanks to bright colors, geometric shapes and bold lettering. This lavishly illustrated exhibition catalogue features six major works from renowned Russian Avant-Garde artists: Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Ivan Kliun, Ilja Chashnik, El Lissitzky and Lyubov Popova.

These works will be accompanied by a selection of original documents, objects, manuscripts and photographs from the art historian and independent scholar Andréi Nakov’s private collection which will contribute to highlight the importance of this critical current in the formulation of Modern Art.

The book will also refer to the contribution in the late 1950s by Canadian diplomats posted in Moscow and their role in assisting George Costakis, collector of Russian art whose collection became the most representative body of Modern Russian Avant-Garde art anywhere. Numerous publications have been devoted to the non-objective Russian Avant-Garde in recent years, but there is still much to be explored with regard to the movement and its beginnings.

Andréi Nakov is a French-Bulgarian art historian and the author of numerous books and exhibition catalogues on the Russian avant-garde, Futurism, Dada, Constructivism, contemporary art and European abstract art.