1922. Constructivism. The Beginning

21 November 2022 – 12 March 2023

Zotov Centre

"1922. Constructivism. The Beginning" is the first exhibition of the Zotov Centre (which is the first cultural centre in Russia focused on the study of constructivist theory and practice). The exhibition is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of constructivism — one of the most distinctive and influential artistic movements of the 20th century. It has found its reflection in all spheres of life and creativity: music, cinema, theatre, architecture, literature, photography, design, and fine arts. The exhibition includes works provided by Russian museums, institutions, and private collections and emphasizes the significance of Soviet avant-garde art of the early 1920s. The first part contains exhibits illustrating the pre-formation of constructivism. In the second part there are works related to the early constructivist movement which gradually started to spread and transform different areas of life. Visitors can appreciate various works of avant-garde artists, such as Vasily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Lyubov Popova, Alexander Vesnin, Velimir Khlebnikov, Aleksei Kruchyonykh, Alexander Rodchenko, Vladimir Tatlin, El Lissitzky, Veronika Stepanova, Alexander Scriabin, and others. In our online collection, there are some of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's items represented at the exhibition, which show how the constructivist movement influenced theatre. You can see reconstructed models of scenery: installations for "The Magnanimous Cuckold" (staged by Vsevolod Meyerhold; the reconstruction was made according to Lyubov Popova's drawings) and "The Man Who Was Thursday" (staged by Alexander Tairov). The online collection also contains drawings, sketches of costumes and scenery for constructivist productions created by Alexandra Ekster, Boris Erdman, Alexander Rodchenko, Natan Altman, and other avant-garde artists.