A Solemn Painting
YEAR: 1998
CATALOG NUMBER: 126
PROVENANCE
Collection of the artist
NOTES
See No 118
EXHIBITIONS
Antwerp, M HKA, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen
16 Installaties, 17 Apr 1998 — 23 Aug 1998 (as part of No 118, 16 Installations, Room 11)
Goslar, Mönchehaus-Museum für Moderne Kunst
Ilya Kabakov, 16 Oct 1998 — 3 Jan 1999
DESCRIPTION
There is only ‘one’ painting hanging in the entire hall. It is as though it deserves this singular existence and its central place on the wall. But it is not at all because of its content, technical execution, style, or because it belongs to the brush of a ‘famous’ master. It has absolutely none of these things: everything about it is entirely mediocre, in an ordinary situation, no one would pay any attention to it. Its entire special, solemn image is imparted to it by the surroundings, or, it is better to say, its design, decorum. It consists of flags, emblems, slogans, and golden tassels on cords. And primarily it is the arrangement of all these elements: severely symmetrical resembling one enormous cartouche. However, it cannot be said that the content of the painting doesn’t correspond to this design. On it is a wide valley surrounded by hills. In the distance is a city; in the foreground are relaxing ‘workers and employees.’ In a word, it is a landscape glorifying ‘Our Motherland,’ its wonderful nature and the healthy, happy people working and living in it.
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