An Alternative History of Art: Rosenthal, Kabakov, Spivak

Counterfactual history is the subject of this catalogue from Ilya Kabakov, a leading figure in installation art and arguably the most important living Russian artist, who often collaborates with his wife, Emilia. Here, through the artwork of three fictitious Russians, including one named Ilya Kabakov, the artist imagines an alternative outcome to the Soviet experiment, one that embraces the populist spirit and idealized subjects of socialist realism and the utopian symbolism of abstraction. In the exhibition The Teacher and the Student: Charles Rosenthal and Ilya Kabakov,” two imaginary characters confront art historical and museological tropes: the model of the provincial artist; the nature of the museum retrospective; and the epoch of the avantgarde. The catalogue function wryly as history lesson, morality tale, social critique and personal homage for an artist who has witnessed the failed utopian experiment of the Soviet Union, both as citizens and emigres.