Home

Talks

Subversive Dreams under the Soviet Regime: Ilya and Emilia Kabakov

Subversive Dreams under the Soviet Regime: Ilya and Emilia Kabakov

'Ilya Kabakov and Emilia Kabakov are singular figures in how big cultures, dominant cultures, are never the whole story.' Robert Storr

Dive into the fantastical world of the Kabakovs, an artist couple famous for creating immersive installations and fictional personas. For this duo, Russia's most significant living artists, the use of storytelling was a way to undermine censorship experienced under the Soviet regime -- 'a way of talking about something without naming it'.

But in the Kabakov's oeuvre, the spectator is a protagonist rather than a mere witness to their terrific tales. Join critic Robert Storr to explore some of these stories of oppression, overcoming and visions of the future. Their installations are testament to the power of imagination in the face of authoritarianism.

Time Period:

20th century