Mikhail Matyushin and Elena Guro hold a unique place among avant-garde artists. As pioneers of the movement itself, they founded its organic branch, explored the synthesis of art, and left a lasting impact on many of their contemporaries. The story of Matyushin and Guro is the story of Russian art in the first third of the 20th century, marked by its abrupt shifts and transformations. At the same time, it is a story of profound love, both moving and inspiring.

This project is the result of extensive research carried out as part of the Zotov Centre's grant programme. Curator Sergei Uvarov was among the grant recipients for his work The Work of Mikhail Matyushin in the Context of the Constructivist Era. Visitors will have the opportunity to view a selection of previously unseen drawings and watercolours from the couple’s archives, along with exceptionally rare works from museum collections, some of which have recently had their authorship and dating clarified. Additionally, they will hear specially recorded performances of Matyushin’s musical compositions, restored from original manuscripts. In the lead-up to the exhibition, the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, with support from the Zotov Centre, restored the artist’s only surviving ‘rectangular’ constructivist violin, allowing visitors to hear it played.

The exhibition is divided into five sections: He and She, Organic Forms, The Budetlyane (The Futureans), Autumn Dream, and After Death. Each one features a listening room with musical compositions by Mikhail Matyushin that reflect the theme of the section. Visitors can also experience the poignant lyricism of Elena Guro through recordings of her poetry, read by artist Varya Pavlova (Lisokot).

An interactive area complements the exhibition: visitors can create a postcard that puts the artists’ creative methods into practice by combining Matyushin’s unique colour system with Guro’s poetry.

In total, the exhibition features over 150 pieces from 17 museums and private collections, including the State Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Mayakovsky State Museum, the State Museum of the History of Saint Petersburg, the Vladimir Dal State Museum of the History of Russian Literature, the MIRA Collection, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic, the collection of Iveta and Tamaz Manasherov, the collection of Marina and Boris Molchanov, the collection of Valery Dudakov and Marina Kashuro, and others.

Curators: Sergei Uvarov, Polina Streltsova