Russian artist Nakhova recreates within the Tate Modern one of her ‘total installations’ that she set up during the 1980s in the Soviet Union, where she was not an ‘official artist’ but an unofficial one: she describes this as her art having been free inside her apartment; she and her circle of friends were free to do what they wanted but would never be shown or seen ‘in public’, officially.
The installations existed for about a fortnight each, then they were dismantled to allow for the other things that need to take place in her home to take place.
She describes the sense of disorientation when ‘visiting’ her flat as she recreated it in the gallery. It feels claustrophobic to her. She also talks about feminism and macho art critics who would show people, men, around her apartment. The original footage is really interesting.
Interests for me:
- duration: both of when it existed but the distance/memory enacted in its re-creation.
- it is clearly not true that there was no audience/ no public for it: friends visited, artists visited, it is documented and now gets a Tate installation
- the blurring of space by covering it over and crawling inside.
— this was discussed on the OCA discuss forum, thank you, Stefan for bringing it to my attention
investigating drawing (gh) 
Gesa, good to see that it crossed spaces 😉 Have you seen it at Tate? Wondering how reception, intend and possible meaning do change now being installed in an art space aka gallery versus art space aka artist room.
LikeLike
yes…. I like this kind of work a lot–also stumbled by chance into the Ed Krasinski show in Liverpool a while ago. No: I haven’t been and also didn’t see how long it is on for. But I know someone who has and I will ask her. And yes: I am also really interested in what the re-installation and shift in venue does. I hope to see it on a next visit though.
LikeLike
This is very interesting, thanks for posting.
LikeLiked by 1 person