Russian Profile Review of "Russia!" at the Guggenheim

Russia!: The Guggenheim Presents a Debutante to America

Ask most Americans if they know anything about Russian art, and you’ll hear one word: Fabergé. After some thought, they think of icons. Those with a greater background in art then think of the works of Mark Chagall and Vasily Kandinsky, or maybe the Russian Avant-Garde. Those with more political knowledge will recall Socialist Realism. Russian art, though, is so much more than these particular artists and movements. It has existed parallel to Western European art for 900 years, with its own movements and heroes, sometimes in harmony, sometimes leading it, at other times completely isolated from it, and today is part of the world art scene.
The Guggenheim Museum’s Russia! show, the largest exhibition of its kind presented outside of Russia, attempts to show viewers a grand overview of the last 900 years of art. Certainly critics have a mixed reaction, but nonetheless Russia! makes a great impact on both the cultural scene and on the general perception of Russia as a country in the view of show attendees.

Many art critics have strongly taken the show to task, finding fault with Russia!’s organization, agenda and selection of works. The political agenda of the show’s organizers came under criticism in several articles. Margarita Tupitsyn, widely respected scholar and curator (co-curator of The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde, 1915-1932 at the Guggenheim), writes in Artforum that, “The institutions and individuals who ignored artwork (if not surpressed it) during the Soviet era are now eager to embrace and rewrite its history…This exhibition is a microcosm for the dismal state of cultural affairs in Russia, where functionaries left over from the Soviet regime fail to establish transparent institutions that would treat art in professional way.”

“The organizers tried to show the development of Russian art over 800 years and to do it in an extremely difficult space,” writes Konstantin Akinsha in ArtNews. “They failed. Russia! is a series of separate exhibitions in one building, and it’s not clear how the parts relate to one another. The saddest thing is that [Russia!] will kill any possibility of organizing serious conceptual exhibitions of Russian art in the United States for years to come.”
Other writers have a more positive view of the show. Francine Prose (author of Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles (Eminent Lives)) writes in The Wall Street Journal, “Russia! consistently provides a sense of freshness and discovery as you come upon the work of interesting artists with whom you may have been unfamiliar.” “[It is] a show that not only offers much to see, but much to think about.”

It was a daunting task for nine curators divided by a language barrier as well as curatorial methodology to select the work included in the show. Roberta Smith, art critic for The New York Times, writes “The Russian curators…had a definite agenda, which was mainly to display a great deal of art that has not been seen in the West before.”

The show also aims to narrate aspects of Russian history. “Some of the show's broad appeal is due to its double-themed Russian-painting/Russian-history narrative,” writes Roberta Smith. “When one story fails, the other fills the gap. Nikolai Ge's portrait of Tolstoy may echo Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses, but who cares? It's Tolstoy, and beside it is a less hagiographic, fittingly dour portrait of Dostoyevsky by Vasily Perov. Alexander Deineka's Defense of Sevastopol (1942) is not a great painting, but it vividly captures the savage bravery with which many Russians fought off the Germans during World War II. Whatever pieces don't make it as visually riveting art almost invariably serve as magnificently telling artifacts.”
Popular reaction to Russia!, by contrast, is overwhelmingly positive. One American business executive who regularly travels to Russia said, “Although I have seen probably half of the works before, it was quite interesting to see such a selection in one building; often it is like seeing old friends.” Prince Vlaidmir Galitzine, vice president of the Russian Nobility Association in New York, thinks that “even though the show did not thrilled [him], despite different opinions the most important idea is to show Russian Art in New York more often.” Marianne Wyman, member of the American Council of the Russian National Orchestra, says that, “Most Americans would be astonished at the scope and the beauty of the art, especially the icons and the contemporary pieces. Americans will never see another Russian show of this depth. For sure it certainly should improve the cultural relationship between the two countries.” Of course some attendees simply couldn’t understand the Russian Avant-Garde movement; one man said that he “easily could paint a black square in five minutes” when looking at Malevich’s works. A friend of his (obviously with a greater background in art history) said that he “could see the beginnings of minimalism” when looking at the same works. Probably the most interesting reactions by the public are to the contemporary pieces in the show. One high school student remarked that “Russia never seemed to be playful, and most of these works are fun” when looking at the art. Indeed, the exhibition served as an eye opening experience for many visitors at the show. "Russia! is remarkable, eye-opening…I have a chance to see different centuries of art from icons to contemporary art. I had no idea I would be so impressed with this exhibition, and want to learn more about the contemporary art," said Harris Mehos, financial executive and collector of contemporary art.

Catharine Nepomnyashchy, director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University says, “I think it’s an excellent overview to galvanize American interest in Russian art. I think it really sends some of the major pieces of Russian art to the American public. What is really exciting to me is that they’ve gone in the crowds, to see Russia with an exclamation mark up all over New York. Certain administrators and politicians think that when Russia isn’t as prominent politically, the interest [in Russia] is lower, and then you get a big event with Russian art and you realize…how extraordinarily interested the American public is in Russian art and music and Russia isn’t all about politics, that maybe there’s more interest in [America] in the arts than in politics.”

Russia! will, hopefully, increase interest in Russian art and prompt future, more narrowly-focused exhibitions throughout the United States which will elaborate on underrepresented areas of the Guggenheim show, including the World of Art, Knave of Diamonds, and trends in nonconformist and contemporary art as well as show different media including photography and works on paper.

For too many years Russia (or the Soviet Union) was an enemy, and then it was a punch line. Americans largely believed that Russia was a dying country, with its citizens being forced to live in drabness and taking any advantage to leave. Besides introducing the American audience to the masterpieces of Russian art, it also brings a sense of Russia’s greatness to the scene. This exhibition heightens the sense of Russia as a vibrant country, one that is growing and has a future. This alone is reason to appreciate Russia! and be glad that its blockbuster status effectively jumpstarts the raise of Russian cultural awareness in the United States.

Russia! is on display at the Guggenheim Museum till January 11, 2006.

Natalia Kolodzei is the Executive Director of the Kolodzei Art Foundation and the co-author of “Oleg Vassiliev: Memory Speaks (Themes and Variations) (Palace Editions). Marc David Miller is Managing Director of Discovering Russia: Enriching Cultural and Business Travel.

Selected reviews:
Margarita Tupitsyn “Russia! Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum” Artforum, November 2005, 247, 289.
Konstantin Akinsha “Russia! Guggenheim Museum” ArtNews, November 2005, 174-175.
Roberta Smith “History Splashed on Canvas” The New York Times, September 16, 2005, 35, 37.