My idea is to use sculpted busts of Soviet leaders, which grow dusty somewhere as an abandoned dead weight. Soviet subjects have become hackneyed, banal and exhaustively used in Sots Art, as well as art in general, in the 1980s to 2000s. But despite this, Russia’s recent past is neither completely understood nor appreciated.

The first atomic icebreaker in the world, the Lenin, became first time ever the site of a an international Art exhibition project. The legendary icebreaker – a symbol of Soviet technical progress and power – worked for 30 years and then in 1989 was placed in the city of Murmansk for its anchor. On board the icebreaker in its day were such famous figures as Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro, and though the ship is now a museum, it has never before been a platform for contemporary art exhibitions. Russian, French and Austrian artists will create works: installations, photographs, sculptures, paintings and videos especially for this project. The task set before the artists by the curators: “artistically reflect the history and character of this unique icebreaker through the prism of its own historical significance, the aesthetic manifestation of its greatness and power and its connection with the present." Foto Credit : Yuri Palmin Exhibition, art project and catalogue

LENIN/ICEBREAKER curated by Simon Mraz http://inrussia.com/lenin-breaks-ice http://5th.moscowbiennale.ru/en/program/special_projects/lenin_en.html