Pavel Otdelnov: Reimagining the Soviet Memory

• In Event: Museums: Virtual, Real, and Decolonized

Abstract

The article examines the rethinking of representations of the Soviet past by the artist in exile Pavel Otdelnov. It argues that contemporary Russian visual art demonstrates its critical view of the recent past by emphasising misrepresented narratives rather than histories of worship. Its aim is to liberate the past and cherish micro-histories that should not be forgotten.

Based on the ethnographic museum as a method for the artist to address the past, the article examines Pavel Otdelnov’s Promzona exhibition. His methodology, echoing Christian Boltanski’s, shows how Otdelnov interacts with the working-class community. The paper compares the artist's ethnographic museum with the previous generation of conceptual artists to highlight the similarities and differences in addressing the Soviet past.

Author

• Elena Konyushikhina, Courtauld Institute of Art (UK)