The exhibition 1922. Constructivism. The Beginning explores the birth of an artistic phenomenon that transformed twentieth-century art. Its pioneers described Constructivism as a ‘universal method’ for shaping the material environment. It combined aesthetic value with carefully considered functionality. The word ‘constructivism’ became a hallmark of Soviet avant-garde art in the 1920s. It was celebrated by architects, and originated by artists and poets.
The emergence of Constructivism was in the air long before it officially began. People were already speaking about it in 1920, and experiments and trials of it started in 1921. By 1922, Constructivism had firmly established itself in all areas of life and art.
In this exhibition, we did not confine ourselves to typological or strictly chronological boundaries. The experiments of avant-garde painters, sculptors, poets, musicians and dancers were vital elements in the ‘avant-garde cauldron’ of the 1910s from which Constructivism emerged. The avant-garde artists redefined the perception of bodily movement, sound, colour and form. At first glance, minimalist, overtly utilitarian Constructivism may seem far removed from Scriabin’s music, Kandinsky’s abstractions or dense futuristic poetry. A closer look, however, reveals a deeper and more meaningful connection. Constructivism, as a universal method, influenced every area of life and art, and was itself shaped by discoveries across different artistic fields, the divisions between which exist only on the pages of books.
The exhibition is divided into two levels or layers. The first focuses on the work of avant-garde painters, sculptors, architects, poets, musicians, and dancers whose experiments paved the way for the birth of Constructivism: V. Kandinsky, V. Baranov-Rossine, N. Udaltsova, O. Rozanova, L. Popova, A. Vesnin, A. Rodchenko, V. Stepchenko, V. Tatlin, El Lissitzky, K. Malevich, V. Khlebnikov, A. Kruchenykh, M. Matyushin, A. Skryabin, L. Lukin, Chernikhov, and others. This section explores the important discoveries of the ‘primary elements’ of artistic language, which became tools for the creation of new art.
The second level delves into the birth and development of early Constructivism. Experiments of the ‘avant-garde laboratory’ and a keen interest in scientific and technological discoveries helped to shape the principles of the movement, which, by the 1920s, began to influence various areas of life and art, transforming and reshaping them. The exhibition reveals how perceptions of the city, the body, humanity, space, and art with its boundaries, goals, and objectives began to change. It showcases works by A. Rodchenko, V. Stepanova, V. Tatlin, L. Popova, A. Vesnin, V. Meyerhold, N. Foregger, D. Vertov, S. Eisenstein, L. Kuleshov, A. Chicherin, A. V. and L. Vesnins and M. Ginzburg, A. Gastev, A. Avraamov, and others.
The Constructivists aimed to use their art to shape the space around them. They spoke of functional objects, well-planned spaces, the right colours, and a newly organised material world. The inhabitants of this world were expected to evolve alongside it, through self-development, self-discipline, the rational use of space and resources, and the presentation and consumption of information.
For the first time in this exhibition, we have attempted to bring together the avant-garde polyphony that gave birth to Constructivism, which transformed both art and the world around it.
Cinema events, author's programs and films in tune with the theme of the current exhibition
