Exhibition: Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932

This exhibition explores one of the most momentous periods in modern world history, the Russian Revolution of 1917, through the lens of its groundbreaking art.

Artists such as Kandinsky, Malevich, Chagall and Rodchenko were among those to live through the events of 1917, which shook Russian society to its foundations.

Amidst the conflict and confusion, the arts thrived as debates swirled over what form a new “people’s” art should take. But, by the end of 1932, Stalin’s brutal suppression had drawn the curtain down on creative freedom.

Taking inspiration from an exhibition shown in Russia just before Stalin’s clampdown, the Royal Academy of Arts marks the centenary by focusing on the 15-year period between 1917 and 1932 when possibilities initially seemed limitless and Russian art flourished across every medium.

This far-ranging exhibition surveys the entire artistic landscape of post-Revolutionary Russia, encompassing Kandinsky’s boldly innovative compositions, the dynamic abstractions of Malevich and the Suprematists, and the emergence of Socialist Realism, which would come to define Communist art as the only style accepted by the regime.

The human experience will be brought to life with a full-scale recreation of an apartment designed for communal living, and with everyday objects ranging from ration coupons and textiles to brilliantly original Soviet porcelain.

Revolutionary in their own right, together these works capture both the idealistic aspirations and the harsh reality of the Revolution and its aftermath.