Squares, rectangles, circles

Art, since its inception has provided a visualization of the culture of humankind. It brought the visualizations of our customs, traditions, wealth and mindset. From the early decades of the 20th century, modernist art has been driven by the Industrial Revolution and the societal progress of the modern industrial life. Modern art turned away from Realist representational tendencies, leaving it behind as a model for reinterpretation or even parody. Artists re-created the reality they perceived, visualizing their subjective feelings, as well as experimenting with colour, form and shapes in painting techniques. Just as in previous centuries, modern artists took an interest in humanity and social life, yet at this time the world begun to be portrayed through an indirect and abstract perspective. Russia, or to be more precise the Russian Empire at its end, played a crucial role in the movement of Modern art. In the early 20th century, Moscow (similarly to Vienna or Paris) progressively transformed into a hub of avant-garde, hosting international exhibitions which included artist, such as: Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Robert Delaunay. Although the attitude towards modernity differed worldwide, both male and female artists were united in subversively confronting the traditional conservative values.

Recently, I have been to an exhibition at the Hermitage Museum entitled Russian Avant-Garde: Revolution in the Arts. The exhibition narrative begins with an ambitious plan of the Bolsheviks, who laid the foundations for a new socialist state which rejected the unequal power hierarchy of the Empire. The Russian avant-garde evolved parallel with various stages of disagreements and factionalism surrounding the Communist vision of a society free from class distinctions. The exhibition specifically concentrates on two movements of the avant-garde: Suprematism and Constructivism, including porcelain artefacts (figures, dishes, cups) which were collected during the reign of Tsar Nicholas and his wife Alexandra. The two pioneers Kazimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky take the lead, next to works by Nikolai Suyetin, Ilya Chashnik, and designs by Sergei Chekhonin. Kandinsky and Malevich are credited for their vibrant geometrical abstract art, as well as their approaches to art theory. Kandinsky’s paintings combined warm and cold colours in his palettes to achieve certain aesthetic values and awaken spiritual feelings. Malevich did not want his art to recreate the world that already existed. Instead he wanted to construct it, giving symbols from daily life brand new meanings. The informative tone of the exhibition allows for the drawing of similarities between the political and artistic revolutions. Interestingly, the Russian avant-garde was not revolutionary in the contemporary understanding of the term, as the movement had already begun before the October Revolution. This way it was more confirmative to political and social freedoms intended by Marxist ideology of the Revolution than to the authorities of the Tsar. The exhibition chronologically leads towards the Stalinist period, known for its suppression of prior avant-garde creativity, and the emergence of Socialist Realism as the dominant style. It was refreshing to read the wall texts, which did not concentrate solely on Stalin’s authoritarian persona, but rather objectively presented the bigger picture. It helped me as a viewer to keep my emotions on hold and simply learn about the historical context of the early Soviet Union. In this article, I focus on the most well-known names and artworks, but the agitation plates or the entire history of Russian figurative and decorative porcelain deserve as much attention.

The viewer is inspired to hypothesize about how art can mobilize the masses, and by that make a change in the world.

We like to tell stories. During retrospective exhibitions, such as this one at the Hermitage, the viewer can look for connections between the past and the contemporary times. Taking Russian avant-garde as the example, the viewer is inspired to hypothesize about how art can mobilize the masses, and by that make a change in the world. Contemporary art, due to its diversity in materials, media, forms of expression and digital technologies, appears to give us the panacea we are looking for. It can visualize just as much (our) limitless possibilities as (our) limits. We are aware of this, but then how can one as a contemporary artist move people from mere awareness about this into engagement? Similarly, as in times of the early and late Russian avant-garde, contemporary art finds itself amid technological advancement and societal tensions. Although unjust distribution in the labor market, income or public goods still accompany us everyday, we can look for other alternatives to become more focused and grounded.

Through this lens we feel like we can battle unrealistic expectations of capitalism and the high pressures of neoliberal economy.

Contemporary art does not, or should not have an artistic status quo. Russian avant-garde was revolutionary in its spirit and visual language, yet it failed in reaching public participation. Artworks, even if shocking, were mostly covered by the press. Causing a public scandal, though beneficial for the artist’s appearance, was at the same time synonymous with a greater confrontation with the changing image of the Communist Party under Stalin’s leadership. Nowadays, the digital realm helps us with reflecting on our contemporary environment, offering a greater chance of organizing an effective and equal revolution. Through this lens we feel like we can battle unrealistic expectations of capitalism and the high pressures of neoliberal economy. Our societal conscience obtains a new space for imagining a landscape, guided by a neutral language which does not stigmatize any of the social groups.

Art, be it modern or contemporary brings ideas, but above all it brings hope. But what happens if the ideas stop? How to let the environment inspire us, if the environment is all monotonous, dirty or simply offensive to you as a human. Where to look for adventure when the environment around you is not really interested in anything new? And then finally in moments like these how not to develop hate and allow it to stop you from blending in with everything around you? One is certain- there are no one way solutions to the systemic dysfunctions we are experiencing. Nowadays, especially because of the pandemic limbo, we begin to realize what matters to us. Both on a personal and a collective level as a society. We can use this opportunity, without resorting to nostalgia or romanticizing the past and focus gradually on constructing a more inclusive future. If we like to tell stories, then why not start telling stories which are both abstract and achievable? Abstraction of the Russian avant-garde followed the revolutionary impulse and used paint or sculpting to create a new image of an emerging society. In the spirit of collective solidarity, artists wanted not only to visualize, but also to form a world which is not controlled by elites. This influential artistic wave came to an end around 1932. However, the early socialist values are materialized in artworks from these times and serve nowadays as a cultural model towards we can strive for.