Natalia Smolianskaia / Smolyanskaya

As an artist, curator, and art philosopher, Natalia Smolianskaia explores issues related to collaborative practices and the pedagogical turn in contemporary art, institutional critique, the role of the avant-garde in the era of “overcoming of art,” and how to actualize art in contemporary life.
Member of the International Association of Art Criticism (AICA), Candidate of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy, Member of the Union of Artists, Painting Section (1989), Winner of the Innovation Award (Curator of the Year, 2020), Fellow of the House of Human Sciences in Paris (2018), in 2007-2013 she directed the research program and held two seminars at the International Philosophical College in Paris.
Organizer of the group of the same name and participant in the complex collaborative project “Enter and Permit”. Co-curator of the museum exhibition and the program “Enter and Permit” at the CCI Fabrika/Moscow.
https://fabrikacci.com/spaces/public/muzej-vojti-i-razreshit1.html
Co-organizer of the project and head of the research seminar of the project “Place of Art. Together with the participants of the project she publishes the magazine “Place of Art”/ https://placeofart.ru/.
She is interested in the problems of contemporary dance performance. Together with the group “Blind” she created the performances “Sister” and “Crossroads” in 1996-1998 and 2002 (conceptual development and scenography), together with the French-Brazilian dancer Barbara Eliask – the performance “Doll”, 2009. As part of the cooperation between the International College of Philosophy and the National Center for Contemporary Dance in Paris, she gave a lecture “Dance and Philosophy” (2006). She works in installation, video, photography and photo objects, author’s book, painting and drawing.
Regular exhibitor since 1982. Graduated from the Moscow Polygraphic Institute in 1981, Department of Art and Graphics.
In 1990-1996 – one of the organizers and participants in all the exhibitions of the Polygon Group. Co-curator of the exhibition project of the Polygon Group “Transformers” in four cultural centers of Belgium (1995-1996). Participant in international, museum and Russian exhibitions.
Her works are in the collections of the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Vologda Picture Gallery, the Ruarts Foundation, the House of Abstract Painting Kollerarthouse, as well as in private collections in Russia, Germany, Finland, Denmark, France, Belgium, Holland, USA, Austria.
Main Art Exhibitions
19.09 – 24.09, 2023
The Red Wedge Splintering
Solo exhibition
Electrozavod Gallery,
54 Malaya Gruzinskaya, Moscow
23.02 – 2.04, 2023
A Smile for Blockheads
Group installation/ Baumanskaya Patterns exhibition
CCI Fabrika, Moscow
10.02 – 19.03.2023
Diary of a Moscow Schoolgirl
Solo exhibition, curator Dima Filippov,
RuArts Gallery, Moscow
13.12.2019 – 08.01.2020
Smoke and Chocolate
Group exhibition, CCI Fabrika, Moscow
17.10 – 21.10.2018
Co-instantaries
Solo exhibition, Promgraphika Gallery with KollerArtHouse, Moscow
11.05 – 10.06.2018
Le fond de l’air est rouge
Solo exhibition, Curator: Dima Filippov, CCI Fabrika, Moscow
12.04 – 14.06.2018
Sculptor’s Book
Group exhibition, The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
26.06 – 31.07.2015
Look and See
Group exhibition, Ruarts Gallery, Moscow
24.03 – 30.03.2014
Projectio
Group exhibition, Université Paris 8, Paris
06.06 – 25.06.2012
INSIDE_FABRIKA_OUTSIDE
Group exhibition, Proekt Fabrika, Moscow
25.05 – 02.07.2011
Frame Break
Solo exhibition, Ruarts Gallery, Moscow
23.09 – 08.11.2009
Not toys?!
III Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, the State Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow
28.06 – 15.10.2007
The Adventures of “The Black Square” by К. Malevich
Group show, The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
22.12.2005 – 21.03.2006
Collage in Russia
Group show, The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
13.02 – 14.03.2003
Moscow Abstraction
Group show, The State Tretiakov Gallery
26.12.2002 – 10.01.2003
Space Signs
Solo exhibition, Manege Gallery, Moscow
14.12.2001 – 08.04.2002
Abstraction Art in Russia
Group show, The State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
10.04 – 26.04.1993
Natalia Smolianskaia
Solo exhibition, A3 Gallery, Moscow
30.08 – 06.10.1991
Metaphysics in Art
Group show, Otso Gallery, Finland
05.01 – 21.01.1990
Painting. Graphics
Solo exhibition with Inna Entina, A3 Gallery, Moscow
01.03 – 12.03.1990
Logic of Paradox
Group exhibition, Youth Palace, Moscow
30.09.1989 – 29.10.1990
Czerwone i biale / Red & White
Group show from Russia and Poland, Dijkstra Gallery, Stichting Open Haven Museum, Stichting Circ, Amsterdam
1989
Collection 89
Group exhibition, House of Soviet Culture and Science, Helsinki, Finland
1988
Soviet Contemporary Art
Group exhibition, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan
November 1988
Soviet Contemporary Art
Group exhibition, Balderskilde Gallery, Denmark
1988
New Soviet Art
Group exhibition, Milan, Italy
03.06 – 14.08.1988
Labyrinth
Group exhibition, Youth Palace, Moscow
11.03 – 10.04.1988
Neuvostoliiton nuorta taidetta
Group exhibition, Turku, Finaland
July – August, 1988
Artiste and Contemporaneity
The Second exhibition of The First creative association, Artists’s House (Kuznetsky Most, 11), Moscow
06.02 – 27.02.1987
Artiste and Contemporaneity
The First Exhibition of The First Creative Association, Kashirka Gallery, Moscow
1982-1990
XIV-XIX Youth Shows
Polygon Group’s Exhibitions
October 1995 – May 1996
«Transformers», Polygon-5
Belgium, Cultural Centrums of Tielt, Berghem, Strombeek-Bever, Kutrijk, Belgium
April 1994
«Monuments on the Polygon», Polygon-4
The Central House of Artists, Moscow
14.10.1993
Exhibition-Action in connection with the reconstruction of the opera Victory on the Sun,
Taganka theater, Moscow
March 1993
Duets, Polygon -3
with Evgeny Gor,
Oriental Gallery, Moscow
March 1991
Polygon-2
Youth Palace, Moscow
12.07 – 30.07.1990
Polygon
Sadovniki Municipal Gallery, Moscow
Curatorial Projects
2023, 19.12. – 24.02.2024
grab bars, paper, pieces of wood, fold, paint, build !
Interactive exhibition dedicated to the practice of co-creation in the context of studying pedagogical experience and the experience of artistic pedagogy
MMOMA, Ermolaevsky lane, 17
2020, 14.07. – 18.09.2020
Treatise. Concise expression of Viktor Umnov.
Viktor Umnov’s personal exhibition
Art.ru Agency.
Ozerkovskaya embankment, 26, Moscow
01.05 – 23.06.2019
Surpassing Art
Exhibition dedicated to the 1968 art in France (Isidore Isou, Guy Debord, Julio Le Park, Daniel Buren, Gérard Fromanger and others)
ММОМА, Gogolevsky Boulevard, 10
«Innovation» Prize (Curator of the Year), 2020
12.12.2018 – 24.03.2019
It’s Forbidden to Forbid
An exhibition dedicated to the events of 1968 in France, the exposition included N. Smolianskaia’s interviews with participants and witnesses of the events, posters, books, works published in the public space
ММОМА, Ermolayevsky Lane, 17
07.02 – 19.03.2016
If there is Water in the Well…
Exhibition of graphic works of Eduard Steinberg,
ММОМА, Gogolevsky Boulevard, 10
05.09 – 13.09.2015
Nothing will grow together because nothing belongs together
Co-curator of the Norwegian curators project, Maria Danielson and Camilla Fagerli
26.06 – 31.07.2015
Look and See
Russian-French Exhibition, with the support of the French Institute in Moscow. Artists: Guillaume Gueren, Christian Lebrat, Anne-Sarah Le Meur, Natalia Smolianskaia.
Ruarts Gallery, Moscow
24.03 – 28.03.2014
Projectio
Group exhibition,
Paris, Université Paris 8, semaine des arts
03.07 – 31.07.2014
Me We
Direction of an educational curatorial exhibition and joint curation with students, RSUH, CCI Fabrika, Moscow
06.06 – 25.06.2012
INSIDE_FABRIKA_OUTSIDE
CCI Fabrika
Enter and Permit Project
2014 – start of work of the project, creation of the curatorial group of the project, joint work on the project
2015 – the first presentation of the project
2016 – opening of the museum “Enter and Permit”, CCI Fabrika
Performances
2019 – Curator, Scores for a meeting, with Anna Kravchenko, GARAGE studios, Moscow;
2018 – Author’s performance within the frame of the project This is a very weird place, 7th International Youth Biennale of Contemporary Art, Special project (head of an educational project), Moscow;
2009 – Concept and scenography, La poupée (dancer Barabara Eliask), Brazil – France;
2003 – Concept and scenography, Crossroads, with the group Blinds, video Cyril Cheluchkin, composer Kuzma Markovnikov, Sam Brook Gallery, Moscow;
1997 – 2003– Concept and scenography, Sister, with the group The Blind – Anna Kouznetsova, Alexander Margorin. Boris Markovnikov’s Studio, Phoenix Gallery, Cultural Center “Home”, Sam Brook Gallery, Moscow.
Main publications
2024 Наталья Смолянская Комментарий в кадре и за кадром: когда отношения становятся формой / Художественный журнал № 125, с.55-67;
2022 Natalia Smolianskaia, Russian Avant-Garde in the Optics of the Horizontal History of Art / Horizontal Art History and Beyond. Revisiting Peripheral Critical Practices, edited by A.Jakubowska and M. Radomska, Routledge, London, P. 73-85;
2022 Natalia Smolianskaia, Race against time: searching for a meeting or getting away from art in a museum? Place of Art Journal № 3, P. 8-30 https://placeofart.ru/issue-3-article-3;
2022 Наталья Смолянская, Горизонты музея: inside и outside, SPECTATE, https://spectate.ru/institutional-critique/
2021 Grigori Smolianski, Natalia Smolianskaia, Les Condamnés. Destin d’un révolutionnaire, Paris, Syllepse (296 P.) ;
2021 Наталья Смолянская, Искусство и революция / Прямухинские чтения,
Москва, P. 32-55
2020 Natalia Smolianskaia, Look and show: such different histories of art viewed through the lens of critical geography, Place of Art Journal № 2, P. 10-19;
2019 Natalia Smolianskaia, Avant-Garde and Modernity: Kazimir Malevich Between the Scylla and Charybdis of Geopolitis / To Whom Does the Avant-Garde Belong? Malevich Project, edited by Co-operative for creative research Krasnaya shpana., P. 58-65;
2019 Наталья Смолянская, Нулевой уровень тела / Художественный журнал № 108, P. 94-103;
2019 Natalia Smolianskaia, Jetez-vous en l’air. Exposer GUTAI, Hypothèses. La relation critique en France. 1944 – 1964, https://relarts.hypotheses.org/files/2021/07/Jetez-vous-en-lair.-Exposer-Gutai-1.pdf
2018 Natalia Smolianskaia, La réception de 1917 et 1968 chez les jeunes Russes aujourd’hui / Mobilisations étudiantes dans le monde : les années 68. Matériaux pour l’histoire de notre temps 2018/1-2 (127-128), P.72-79 ;
2017 Наталья Смолянская, Эстетика после искусства: куратор как оператор / Художественный журнал № 101, P. 75-83;
2017 Natalia Smolianskaia, La Sdvigologiia de Kazimir Malevitch en tant que projet épistémologique et artistique / Kandinsky, Malévitch, Filonov et la philosophie. Les systèmes de l’abstraction dans l’avant-garde russe, éd. Cécile Defaut, P.155-169 ;
2017 Natalia Smolianskaia, Quête d’espace et investigations graphiques dans les avant-gardes russes (Solomon Nikritin, Kazimir Malévitch) / Avant-gardes russes : suprématisme, art nonobjectif, constructivisme, conceptualisme, LIGEIA, dossiers sur l’art, № 157-160, P. 40-55 ;
2016 Exhibition Catalogue of Eduard Steinberg, editor (108 P.), ММОМА, Moscow;
2016 Наталья Смолянская, Если в колодце живет вода…/ каталог выставки Э. Штейнберга (статья), ММОМА, P. 10 – 168;
2016 Наталья Смолянская, Воссоздание памяти: тема времени в современном искусстве / журнал «Лехаим», 20 мая 2016;
2016 Наталья Смолянская, Зачем снова говорить об авангарде? / Вестник РГГУ 1(3), P.63-72;
2015 Natalia Smolyanskaya, Polygon / Sustainable art – facing the need for regeneration, responsibility and relations, Institute of Art History, University of Wroclaw; Conferences and Studies of the Polish Institute of World Art Studies; Vol. XIV, Polish Institute of World Art Studies & Tako Publishing House Warsaw–Toruń 2015, P. 121-134
2015 Наталья Смолянская, Черный квадрат Малевича как эпистемологический проект искусства / Проекции авангарда, P. 142-145;
2015 Наталья Смолянская, Проекты и проекции/ Проекции авангарда, P. 238-241;
2015 Наталья Смолянская, Конструирование ситуаций: 1968 / Диалог искусств № 5, P. 98-99;
2014 Natalia Smolianskaia, editor, Rue Descartes № 80 : (re)penser les langages de l’art http://www.ruedescartes.org/numero_revue/2014-1-re-penser-les-langages-de-l-art/ (129 P.;
2014 Natalia Smolianskaia, L’art en fabrication / Rue Descartes № 80 : (re)penser les langages de l’art, P. 20-37 ;
2014 Natalia Smolianskaia, Penser l’art : pour changer de sujet / Rue Descartes № 80 : (re)penser les langages de l’art, P.1 – 3 ;
2014 Natalia Smolianskaia, interview with Christian Lebrat: Apprendre patiemment à subvertir le matériau / Rue Descartes № 80 : (re)penser les langages de l’art, P. 81 – 88;
2014 Natalia Smolianskaia, interview with Anne-Sarah Le Meur: Temporalité abstraite / Rue Descartes № 80 : (re)penser les langages de l’art, P. 89;
2014 Natalia Smolyanskaya, Le Temps des avant-gardes : l’histoire de l’art à l’âge de sa mondialisation / Critique d’Art № 41, Actualité internationale de la littérature critique sur l’art contemporain / The International Review of Contemporary Art Criticism ;
2013 Н. Смолянская, Авангард. Проблема именования / Философский журнал ИФРАН, № 1 (10), P.97-111;
2012 Н. Смолянская, Между эротическим и жутким: куклы Синди Шерман / Артикульт № 6, 2012 (4);
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia, Teorie della « Sdvig» (dello « spostamento») / Kasimir Maletvitch, nei formalisti e nei cubo-futuristi russi / Avanguardia , a.15, n.44, autunno 2010, P. 75-90;
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia,Jean-Pierre Cometti, editors : Avant-gardes. Retours et détours, № 69 Rue Descartes (128 P.);
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia, J.-P. Cometti, Horizons / Avant-gardes. Retours et détours, № 69 de Rue Descartes, P .2;
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia, La crise du cadre et la (re)constitution des cadres de la vie dans le champ artistique. (Projets et projections) / Avant-gardes. Retours et détours , № 69 de Rue Descartes, P.24 – 31 ;
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia, interview with Daniel Buren : Inventer un autre terme ? / Avant-gardes. Retours et détours, № 69 de Rue Descartes, P. 68 – 75;
2010 Natalia Smolianskaia, interview with Arséniy Zhilyaév : La machine de l’échec / Avant-gardes. Retours et détours, № 69 de Rue Descartes, P. 76 – 84;
2009 Н. Смолянская, Распыление « Черного квадрата» как феномен «возвращения» в культуре ХХ века /сборник трудов Русской Антропологической школы, РГГУ, Москва, 2009, P.93-118;
2009 Н. Смолянская, Возвышенное в интерпретациях искусства постмодерна: концепция Ж.-Ф. Лиотара для выставки «Нематериальное» / «Философский журнал» ИФРАН, 1(2), 2009, с. 127-141.