Renowned artist Ilya Kabakov, known for his thought-provoking installations that confronted the shattered dreams of the Soviet Union, passed away at the age of 89. His family announced his death on the same day. Kabakov’s expansive artworks delved into the failures of the Soviet regime, offering heightened versions of reality through room-sized installations that depicted imagined characters. In a country where government-approved art prevailed, Kabakov’s unsparing, critical visions stood in stark contrast. His work became a cornerstone of the unofficial art scene in the Soviet Union, produced covertly and beyond the mainstream.
Kabakov’s installations, which couldn’t be exhibited in the Soviet Union, found success in the West following the end of the Cold War. His influence on the art world extended to Russia, where many artists drew inspiration from his work. In 2018, a retrospective of Kabakov’s work at Tate Modern led art historian Claire Bishop to label him as “the paradigmatic installation artist.”
The breakthrough moment for Kabakov came in 1988 with his solo exhibition titled “Ten Characters” at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in New York. The exhibition recreated the 10-room communal apartment where Kabakov grew up, highlighting the common living conditions in the Soviet Union. The most famous installation from this exhibition, “The Man Who Flew Into Space From His Apartment” (1988), featured a cloistered space adorned with propagandistic Soviet imagery and a slingshot suggesting the inhabitant’s failed attempt to escape the limitations imposed by the Soviet system.
Kabakov’s art captured critical acclaim. His installations revealed unadulterated identities and presented a truthful expression that transcended convention. His art offered a unique perspective, as he viewed Soviet life through the eyes of an outsider rather than as a Russian artist showcasing Russian art to the West.
As Kabakov’s international recognition grew, so did the scale of his installations. “Labyrinth (My Mother’s Album)” (1990), now owned by the Tate, guided viewers through a maze that drew from Kabakov’s personal experiences. Illuminated by hanging bulbs, the mostly vacant corridors led to a central room filled with rubble. The installation juxtaposed these ruins with professional photographs of the Russian city of Berdyansk, reflecting the stark contrast between reality and the government’s idealized portrayal of Russia.
In 1989, Ilya Kabakov began collaborating with his niece, Emilia, whom he later married. They resided in Berlin, Paris, and New York, with periodic visits to Moscow. Kabakov continued creating art about the utopian ideals associated with the Soviet Union even after its dissolution. His works portrayed a world that had vanished, evoking a sense of loss for the world he had lived in for so many years.
Throughout his career, Ilya Kabakov faced challenges in finding suitable spaces to exhibit his room-filling installations, known as “total installations.” However, the art landscape changed over time, and his work gained more recognition. In 2008, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich contributed $3 million to convert an old garage into the Garage art center in Moscow, which exhibited installations by the Kabakovs. That same year, Abramovich made headlines by purchasing one of Ilya Kabakov’s paintings for over $5 million at an auction.
Kabakov’s critical stance on Russia endured until the end of his life. The TASS obituary noted that his foundation’s Facebook page remains banned in the country. Although Kabakov didn’t speak extensively about the war in Ukraine, his wife Emilia expressed her concerns, considering it the most frightening war due to its potential for escalating into a nuclear conflict.
Despite the often somber tone of their art, the Kabakovs occasionally conveyed optimistic sentiments. In 2005, they initiated the Ship of Tolerance project, which featured a wooden boat adorned with children’s drawings promoting tolerance. Over the past two decades, the ship has visited various locations worldwide, emphasizing the connection between cultures and the power of children’s messages.
Ilya Kabakov’s legacy as an installation artist and his critical exploration of the Soviet experience continues to inspire artists and shape the art world’s understanding of history, ideology, and human aspirations.