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Bulgakov VS Mayakovsky
Avant-garde Center on Shabolovka
2016
2016
This exhibition focused on the complex and often antagonistic relationship between two of the most iconic Soviet writers of the prewar period—Mikhail Bulgakov and Vladimir Mayakovsky. Though sworn rivals, they were occasionally seen playing billiards together at the Writers' Club, and the exhibition itself was conceived as a metaphorical billiards match.
The space was designed to evoke a billiard room: green chalk-marked walls alluded to the surface of the billiard table, and exhibition displays were arranged in a triangular formation and displayed in cylindrical "ball-inspired" vitrines. Odd-numbered vitrines were dedicated to Mayakovsky, and even-numbered ones to Bulgakov.
By placing Bulgakov and Mayakovsky in direct confrontation, the curators structured the exhibition around nine thematic "confrontations" reflecting their opposing worldviews: their sense of self and home, their views on love, their relationship with history, how they addressed the reader, their understanding of literary labor, their relationship with theater, their stance on authority, and finally, their attitudes toward death.
This structure allowed the exhibition not only to contrast their personalities but also to trace how specific events and ideas shaped their most famous works.
A stark contrast was drawn between Mayakovsky’s extensive archive—which preserved everything from personal notes and socks to the bullet that ended his life—and the near-total disappearance of Bulgakov’s personal effects. This contrast was emphasized by the juxtaposition of their desks: Mayakovsky’s custom-ordered "American-style" desk set against Bulgakov’s classical Empire-style secrétaire.
The space was designed to evoke a billiard room: green chalk-marked walls alluded to the surface of the billiard table, and exhibition displays were arranged in a triangular formation and displayed in cylindrical "ball-inspired" vitrines. Odd-numbered vitrines were dedicated to Mayakovsky, and even-numbered ones to Bulgakov.
By placing Bulgakov and Mayakovsky in direct confrontation, the curators structured the exhibition around nine thematic "confrontations" reflecting their opposing worldviews: their sense of self and home, their views on love, their relationship with history, how they addressed the reader, their understanding of literary labor, their relationship with theater, their stance on authority, and finally, their attitudes toward death.
This structure allowed the exhibition not only to contrast their personalities but also to trace how specific events and ideas shaped their most famous works.
A stark contrast was drawn between Mayakovsky’s extensive archive—which preserved everything from personal notes and socks to the bullet that ended his life—and the near-total disappearance of Bulgakov’s personal effects. This contrast was emphasized by the juxtaposition of their desks: Mayakovsky’s custom-ordered "American-style" desk set against Bulgakov’s classical Empire-style secrétaire.
Concept
Aleksander Godovanets
Curators
Aleksandra Selivanova
Marina Krasnova
Exhibition Architecture
Anna Rumyantseva
Aleksander Godovanets
Curators
Aleksandra Selivanova
Marina Krasnova
Exhibition Architecture
Anna Rumyantseva
