Revolution: Now!
Weekend-long art history and theory course
25 March 2017 10am - 5pm26 March 2017 10am - 5pm
The Reynolds Room, Royal Academy, Piccadilly
£340. This two-day course will include a course handbook, supporting materials and a visit to the exhibition 'Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932', followed by expert-led discussion.
Friends of the RA book first
Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932
Terms and conditions
This two-day art history and theory course explores the critical and lasting impact of the Russian Revolution on both artistic practice and individual artists, treating the Revolutionary period not as a historical curiosity but as a time of great innovation and lasting change.
This two-day art history and theory course considers the cultural shifts, radical changes and innovations following the Russian Revolution of 1917. It explores the revolutionary period not as an historical curiosity but through its fundamental and lasting impact on the arts, culture and artists, up to the present day.
The course considers both significant and novel approaches to art that were introduced following the 1917 Revolution. These have continued to persist within contemporary artistic practises, and include, for example:
- Performance art and artist as performer
- Interdisciplinary approaches in methods and practice
- International influences
- Theories of abstraction, its application and limits
The contemporary decades that followed the revolution saw periods of momentous change with discussion of:
- Non-conformist art and underground rebellions of the Soviet period of 1960s and 1970s
- The fall of communism and impact of perestroika: economic and social upheaval and emergence of new perspectives in the 1980s and 1990s
- The re-emergence on the global stage and international perspectives; resilience and rebellion of the 1990s and 2000s
- Continued challenges and opportunities for artist throughout 2000s and up to the present day
The fundamental break with the Tsarist regime and the revolution in the arts that swept Russia, along with political, social and economic changes, had radical implications for both Russian and European art more widely. The survival and necessary evolution of the Russian avant-garde through extreme conditions including periods of war, famine and social unrest, gave rise to some of the worlds most radical artistic ideas and movements, with currency well into the 21st century. Its impact is felt up to the present day.
There will be exclusive access to the Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 exhibition for course participants only on both the Saturday and Sunday morning from 9-10am. The exhibition is also open to the public until 10pm on Saturday evening.
£340. This two-day course will include a course handbook, supporting materials and a visit to the exhibition 'Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932', followed by expert-led discussion.
Friends of the RA book first
Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932
Terms and conditions
Biographies
Irina Kronrod
Dr. Irina Kronrod is Senior Director in the Private Client Group at Sotheby’s in London and leading expert in Russian art. She joined Sotheby's in 2008 as a key member of the team responsible for the Russian business development worldwide. In close collaboration with international specialists, Irina drives Sotheby’s corporate strategy to support and develop Russian art collectors in CIS, European countries and Switzerland. Prior to joining Sotheby’s Irina worked as a specialist in Russian art at Drouot Auction house, Paris. Irina holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, NY, where she conducted research in the history of the early 20th-century Russian avant-garde movements. She has taught the History of Russian Art at a number of international institutions, including Sotheby’s Institute, and makes regular contributions on the subject .
Elizaveta Butakova Kilgariff
Dr Elizaveta Butakova Kilgarriff is an academic and curator focussing on the Russian postwar avant-garde. In 2015, she completed her thesis at the Courtauld Institute of Art and based on this research curated the exhibition Paper Museums: Moscow Conceptualism in Transit at the John Hansard Gallery, Southampton. She has been a visiting lecturer at the Courtauld, UCL and the Ruskin and in 2016 co-taught the MA Global Conceptualisms at the Courtauld. She is Research Curator at Calvert 22 Foundation and is co-curating the exhibition Dmitri Prigov: Theatre of Revolutionary Action, which will open at Calvert 22 in October 2017.
Theodora Clarke
Theodora Clarke is an art historian, critic, lecturer and curator. She is founder and editor of Russian Art and Culture and publishes the guide to the bi-annual Russian Art Week in London. Theodora is a popular and frequent commentator on the arts in national and international press including TV, print and radio. She previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Christie’s. She recently published a book called Boris Chetkov: Re-imagining Russia and she curated Abstraction/Construction for the Maslenitsa Festival in London, as well as an exhibition of contemporary Russian art for Russian Art Week.
Jesse Gardiner
Dr. Jesse Gardiner is currently Stipendiary Lecturer in Russian at University College Oxford where he teaches Russian language, literature and culture. Prior to this post, he held lectureships at Durham University and the University of Exeter. His research focuses on Russian and Soviet theatre, in particular the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century and its influence on later periods of Soviet history. He is particularly interested in interactions between the avant-garde and socialist realism. His approach to the subject is interdisciplinary and combines the study of cultural history, literary and performance analysis, and critical theory. He received his PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2014, writing the thesis on Soviet theatre during the Khrushchev Thaw. Dr Gardiner is also a theatre director and enjoys directing productions of Russian plays with his students.
Angus Haldane
Angus Haldane is Director of Haldane Fine Art, an art dealership and consultancy with an international clientele which was founded in 2007 and is based in Mayfair, London. He is also an independent curator and art historian. Angus studied Classics at Oxford University, specialising in history, literature and antique sculpture. After Oxford, Angus graduated from the Courtauld Institute with an MA in Byzantine and Early Renaissance art. He worked for many years as a senior specialist in paintings at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, where he gained considerable experience researching, attributing, and valuing pictures, as well as managing the auction process. His deep knowledge and passion extend from the art of the sixteenth century to the most contemporary of works. In addition to art dealing, he has catalogued museum collections and provides consultancy to some of London’s leading Art advisers. He is currently writing a book on English painting of the Baroque age. Angus has appeared as an art commentator on the BBC and CNN and speaks French, Italian and Russian.
Brian Hatton
Brian Hatton is a writer and art historian who has published extensively and has lectured in architecture schools across the UK and internationally, notably the Architectural Association, where he is a permanent member, and at Liverpool John Moores University where he is currently promoting a campaign for a Liverpool architecture biennial. Other schools where Brian has lectured include the Royal College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art. Over the years Brian has also worked with contemporary artists including American artist Dan Graham, and is currently preparing a video publication of his pavilions. He has a long-standing interest in Russian art and architecture and specifically how art enters, influences or becomes architecture – which is one of the great themes running through the Russian revolutionary movements.
Anna Lipskaya
Anna Lipskaya joined Gurr Johns, the UK’s oldest art valuations company, in 2013 where she manages high-end clients seeking advice on new and updated valuations of their collections and art holdings with a long-standing interest and focus on Russian art and collections. She supervises the revaluation process of client’s fine art and valuables contents and assists on specialised art collection management systems for institutions including trusts, estates, private collections and more. She regularly works on Russian art valuations and assists the company with Russian clients. Previously, Anna was the Senior Analyst at Skate’s Art Market Research, a leading art market information agency founded in Moscow and New York, where Anna was responsible for producing national and global art market reports and publications focused specifically on market performance for art and collectable assets. Anna has spoken at international conferences worldwide dedicated to various aspects of the art industry and has lectured at the Royal Academy of Arts and Sotheby’s Institute. Anna is a graduate of Moscow State University, Economics Faculty.
About the course
This two-day art history and theory course explores in detail the key works, artists and projects of the Russian avant-garde emerging from the revolutionary period. We'll also explore the underlying ideas, propositions and philosophical foundations that continue to influence artists and their practice up to the present day.
There will be exclusive access to the exhibition for course participants only on both the Saturday and Sunday morning from 9 - 10am. The exhibition is also open to the public until 10pm on Saturday evening.
£340
10am – 5pm on both days
• A varied programme of lectures and discussions, as well as a tour of the exhibition
• Complimentary tickets to the Revolution: Russian Art 1917 - 1932 exhibition throughout the weekend
• Light refreshments at the beginning of each day
• A drinks reception at the end of the second day
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
This course is suitable for enthusiastic beginners as well as those with previous knowledge who would like to develop their understanding further.
This course is for you if:
• You have a general interest in the arts and culture and would like to acquire art historical knowledge alongside viewing the artworks.
• You have a general interest in modern and contemporary art and would like to learn more about its importance and development in Revolutionary Russia and its legacy.
• You would like to deepen and enrich your knowledge with an expert angle and perspective and discover how the social and political context of the time gave rise to artistic innovation and how that influences artistic practice.
• You wish to see how the development of the Russian Revolution has influenced the arts up to the present day.
• You would enjoy visiting the Royal Academy’s Russian Revolution exhibition with guidance from an expert in the field.
Minimum age 18
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.
Related events
Short courseFreeThe Primary Art School
9 January - 12 June 2025
Short courseArt and conflict
1 February - 2 February 2025
Short courseModernism around the world
4 February - 11 March 2025
Short coursePortrait photography: ideas from modernism
15 February - 16 February 2025
Short courseThe Art of Carnival
1 March 2025
Short courseBotanical art
11 March - 8 April 2025
Short courseExploring ink: method and imagination
29 March - 30 March 2025
