Formed in 1976, the Collective Actions' work was vital to the development of Conceptualism as one of the most influential movements in Soviet art. As stated by curator Joseph Backstein, "The Collective Actions group was influenced by the work of Joseph Beuys and John Cage, the peculiarity of... Read more
Formed in 1976, the Collective Actions’ work was vital to the development of Conceptualism as one of the most influential movements in Soviet art. As stated by curator Joseph Backstein, “The Collective Actions group was influenced by the work of Joseph Beuys and John Cage, the peculiarity of Soviet performance lies in its attempt to demonstrate the conditional mood of the perception as such and the evolution of various stereotypes of human behavior against the background of official ideology. This ideology aimed at monopolizing the very right to interpret all manifestations of the Real including its reflections in art. Collective Actions insists on multiple interpretations.”
All of Collective Actions’ performances took place outdoors, primarily in the country, and endure in the form of black and white photographs, video, and commentaries written by the viewers documenting their impressions of the performances. Linking performance with ritual, the Collective Actions performances were spiritual acts aimed to create an atmosphere of unanimity among the participants and to serve as a vehicle for directing consciousness outside the boundaries of intellect. The photo images in the exhibition, Collective Actions, document representative scenes of various performances from 1976 to 1990, recreating the atmosphere, spirit, and significance of the performative actions of the Collective Actions group.
