Yesterday's post revolved around a Russian folk story and a painter and, to follow the thread, let's look in this feature at a recent announcement made by the V&A in London and revolving around a partnership with the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and Vogue Russia.
The three partners will develop indeed a new exhibition set to open in 2020 (and moving to the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in 2021) that will analyse the influence of Russia on 20th century and contemporary Western fashion.
Key periods and styles will be examined, moving from Russian folk culture, the Russian court and imperial costume, to the avant-garde, revolutionary romanticism, and Perestroika. Art and fashion fans may find quite a few interesting inspirations going from paintings (yes, Korovin and Vrubel will also be included) and photographs to stage costumes, textiles and modern designs.
Some of the main names that will be involved include Bakst and Rodchenko and designers who have been influenced by Russia, like Paul Poiret and Jean Paul Gaultier.
"This exciting partnership will see the Museum embark on a new era of working with Russia and initiate the process of not just cultural exchange, but co-creating cultural content. Russia is a fascinating country of contrasts, but it remains shrouded in mystery," Martin Roth, Director of the V&A, states in an official press release. "This co-curation presents a wonderful opportunity to work with our Russian partners to promote greater understanding of Russia's rich and diverse cultural history."
The V&A holds significant Russian collections of metalwork, jewellery and theatre and performance-related objects, as well as Russian furniture, textiles, glass, sculpture and paintings, but so does the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, founded 160 years ago by Moscow merchant Pavel Tretyakov with the aim to create the first museum of national art available to everybody. The Gallery holds indeed more than 180,000 art works, spanning from 11th century icons to contemporary Russian art, including a world famous collection of the Russian avant-garde.
Art purists may find the third partner maybe incompatible with the two museums, yet, since it was launched by Conde Nast in 1998, Vogue Russia has fashioned itself as a multimedia brand (though - it should be highlighted - it wasn't always headed by the perfect editor...) and often organised events including "The Nude in Vogue" exhibition in 2013 at the Pushkin Museum (nude portraits of fashion models over the entire history of Vogue along with world-famous masterpieces), "Dance in Vogue" at the Multimedia Art Museum Moscow in 2011 and "Russia in Vogue" in 2013.
Anita Gigovskaya, President of Conde Nast Russia stated about the triple partnership: "Russia has never itself been a power in world fashion, but it has often had the power to influence world fashion. This is because of the truly gigantic scale of the country itself, its dramatic history, and the endless variety of its ethnographic and cultural landscape. This encompasses many contrasts - between the exotic East and Slavic romanticism, between the unrestrained luxury of Byzantium and northern reserve - offering a rich visual range alongside its thrilling history of plot and intrigue and creating a perfect breeding ground for ideas of design."
Art fans who may want to try and educate themselves about the exhibition can visit the V&A and spot Russian objects among the items on display in its galleries, such as the recently-reopened spaces dedicated to Europe 1600-1815, or they can read through the catalogues for the previous exhibitions, "Russian Avant-Garde Theatre: War Revolution and Design 1913-1931" (2014 –2015), "The Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars" (2013), "Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929" (2010) and "Magnificence of the Tsars: Ceremonial Men's Dress of the Russian Imperial Court, 1721-1917" (2008 –2009). Hopefully, the exhibition will also be an opportunity to rediscover architecture in Russia maybe in connection with fashion.
Image credits for this post
1. Fashion design for an Evening Dress, Erté for Paul Poiret, Paris (designed); New York (drawn), 1913-14
Victoria and Albert Musuem, London
2. Konstantin Korovin, The Northern Idyll, 1892
The State Tretyakov Gallery
3. Léon Bakst, Salome. Costume sketch for O.Wilde's play "Salome", 1908
The State Tretyakov Gallery
4. Liubov Popova Untitled Textile Design on William Morris Wallpaper for HM, David Mabb, 2010
Victoria and Albert Museum, David Mabb
5. Mikhail Vrubel, The Swan Princess, 1900
The State Tretyakov Gallery
6. Theatre Costume, Léon Bakst (designed), 1912
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
7. Vogue Russia, April 2011, Mariano Vivanco
Vogue Russia
8. Vogue Russia, May 1999, Zanna
Vogue Russia
9. Vogue Russia, September, 2011 Diana Vishneva and Patrick Demarchelier
Vogue Russia
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