Curated by Alessandra Franetovich, this new project continues Zhilyaev’s investigation into the politics of language (and/or the language of politics), alongside its representation in the potential exhibition history and the media. Within the framework of “Lingua Madre,” works are gathered in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They appeal to this tragic event from an anti-war perspective, as expressed by the artist, who, despite relocating to Italy after 2014, was shaped by the milieu of the aggressor.
Nei giorni della guerra (In the Days of War) will be exhibited for the first time in Italy, together with new productions such as Dietro la nebbia di guerra c’è sempre il dolore (Behind the Fog of War There Is Always Pain, 2022–24), Senza titolo or Wiedermal als Tragödie (Untitled or Once Again as Tragedy, 2024), and Lingua Madre (Mother Tongue, 2022–24). The latter, from which the show derives its title, comprises a collection of flags created with canvases bearing embroidered words taken from audio recordings of telephone calls between Russian soldiers and their families, with white paint applied over them. Dietro la nebbia di guerra c’è sempre il dolore presents an archive of newspapers and journal pages dating from 24.02.2022 onwards, in which the artist again uses white paint to obscure the definition of the texts, rendering them almost illegible. Nei giorni della guerra was first presented as a solo exhibition upon the invitation of Zdenka Badovinac at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb in 2023. In this interactive installation, the artist analysed the relationship between the current situation in Russia and its repressed past, addressing the legacy of Stalinism, the suppression of freedoms in the country, and imperialism towards other nations. The analysis was conducted through the lens of a pictorial work by the socialist realist artist Gelij Koržev (1925–2012). Finally, the neon piece Senza titolo or Wiedermal als Tragödie connects present-day conflicts to past events by altering Karl Marx’s infamous quote on the repetition of history as tragedy and farce (a rephrasing of an earlier observation from Hegel on the legacy of Napoleon). Through this reference, Zhilyaev alludes to the current state of affairs, emphasising tragedy as an endlessly recurring catastrophe.
The critical scope of “Lingua Madre” opens possibilities for questioning the role of contemporary art in the context of the ongoing conflict in Europe. Revealing hidden narratives of Soviet (art) history and the potential of avant-garde museology, the artist reminds us of the fragility of humankind, its past, and its future.
at C+N Gallery CANEPANERI, Milan
until April 15, 2024