Hosting the Inhuman

Curated by: V-A-C Foundation presents Hosting the Inhuman at the Moscow Museum of Modern
Maria Kramar and Karen Sarkisov Arts (MMOMA) space on Gogolevsky Boulevard. The multidisciplinary project marks
the beginning of MMOMAs new programme Carte Blanche, which invites art
Venue: institutions to implement their own curatorial initiatives at MMOMA sites. Bringing
MMOMA, 10 Gogolevsky Blvd, together artists, musicians, theorists, scientists and philosophers, Hosting the Inhuman
bldg. 2, Moscow investigates the relationship between material objects, non-human forms of life and the
environment. It includes an exhibition, film screenings, a series of talks and an extensive
Dates: programme of live performances.
12 April 7 June 2017
Dramatic innovations in biology, medicine, engineering and computer science have
For further information / images / redefined the way we see ourselves. Modern technology is increasingly reliant upon,
interviews, contact: and pervaded by, natural imagery and elemental metaphors, from cloud computing to
Daisy Mallabar swarm intelligence. Meanwhile, recent developments in the humanities and social
(International press) sciences, such as new materialism and actor-network theory amongst others, have
t. +44 (0) 7966031418 contributed to a changing focus from the human to the non-human with all its multiple
daisy.mallabar@v-a-c.ru varieties and competing meanings.

Anastasia Sharipova Over 30 contributors will examine this shift, exploring the relevance of the non-human
(Russian press) within their work. The exhibition takes place in a purpose-built hotel inside MMOMA,
t. +7 (926) 534 06 57 representing an exemplary non-place and a space of transience. From a reception
anastasia.sharipova@v-a-c.ru and lounge to a boiler room, installations, films, sculptures and paintings will take over
the space. A conference hall will provide the stage for weekly talks and live
performances, including sound artist and experimental producer Elysia Crampton,
musician and co-founder of NON WORLDWIDE Chino Amobi, punk musician Kid
Fourteen and doom metal band Nuclear Cthulhu.

Highlights of the exhibition include artist and writer Andrey Shentals installation A
Descent into the Fungal (2016 - 2017), based around the enigmatic disappearance of
a fictional mycologist while testing a device for deciphering and recording the
information transmitted by fungi. With Butterfly (2017), Alexey Buldakov uses the heat
emitted from a processor mining cryptocurrencies to warm the oil in a radiator,
providing a new business model for heating the hotel. Other works explore human
absence, including the empty landscape of Piero Golias Yosemite National Park
(2008). The tapestry is one of few remains from when the artist vanished from New
York in January 2006, reappearing in Copenhagen three weeks later, having crossed
borders without a trace.

Launching in spring 2017, Carte Blanche is a new experimental programme by

MMOMA, inviting art institutions to implement their own curatorial initiatives at
MMOMA sites. With Carte Blanche, MMOMA aims to develop creative dialogue
and synergy, strengthening cultural ties between state museums and other institutions.
Guest institutions will select the theme, artists and format of the exhibitions they present,
opening up new ideas to MMOMAs visitors and giving invited institutions the
opportunity to address issues such as the implementation of their projects in a different
context and familiarity with new audiences. Building on the activities of the museum, it
will further MMOMAs ambition to broaden current perceptions of contemporary art.

v-a-c@v-a-c.ru
www.v-a-c.ru
Curated by: V-A-C Foundation is the first institution to participate and will present four projects
Maria Kramar and Karen Sarkisov which analyse the format of museums and exhibitions, looking at new possibilities
as well as existing boundaries and limitations. It will expand on V-A-Cs long term
Venue: programme which explores the role of the contemporary museum.
MMOMA, 10 Gogolevsky Blvd,
bldg. 2, Moscow The participants in the programme include: Chino Amobi, Evgeny Antufiev, Alexey
Bogolepov / Egor Rogalev, Vladimir Budanov, Alexey Buldakov, Igor Burtsev, Valery
Dates: Chtak, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Elysia Crampton, Nuclear Cthulhu, Sara Culmann,
12 April 7 June 2017 Vinciane Despret, Dyad & The Sleepers Club, Farhad Farzaliyev, Farhood, Valentin
Fetisov, Mikhail Gelfand, Piero Golia, Michael Hampe, Daniel Lefcourt, Kablam,
For further information / images / Kepla, Ling, Kid Fourteen, Sergey Konenkov, Mikhail Maksimov, Mrble, Kristina
interviews, contact: Norman, Ored Recordings, Anastasia Potemkina, Yoel Regev, Lara Sarkissian,
Daisy Mallabar Kirill Savchenkov, Andrey Shental, Theater of Mutual Operations, Yves Tumor, Ben
(International press) Woodard, and Anna Zholud.
t. +44 (0) 7966031418
daisy.mallabar@v-a-c.ru Further exhibitions throughout the year in the Carte Blanche programme include:
Moscow Diaries, a collaboration between Museum of American Art, Berlin (MoAA,
Anastasia Sharipova Berlin) and the Centre of Experimental Museology (CEM, Moscow) (15 June25
(Russian press) August 2017); Kirill Savchenkov: Office of Sensitive Activities, curated by Katerina
t. +7 (926) 534 06 57 Chuchalina and Maria Kramar (4 September 10 November 2017); and Vladislav
anastasia.sharipova@v-a-c.ru Shapovalov: Image Diplomacy curated by Anna Ilchenko (16 November 201725
January 2018).

v-a-c@v-a-c.ru
www.v-a-c.ru
 Notes to Editors

Curated by: V-A-C Foundation is dedicated to the international presentation, production and
Maria Kramar and Karen Sarkisov development of Russian contemporary art across a multitude of forms and within
the framework of an invigorated and informed exhibition, education and publishing
Venue: programme. Particularly important to the new generation of artists in Russia, V-A-Cs
MMOMA, 10 Gogolevsky Blvd, focus is on practically supporting and expanding the platform for home-grown talent,
bldg. 2, Moscow giving artists the opportunity to experience, engage with and interrogate international
cultural practices whilst developing an authentic and autonomous artistic language. It
Dates: is deservedly considered as one of the key proponents in opening out contemporary
12 April 7 June 2017 Russian culture to the wider world, and practically supporting and developing
emergent artists through finding new international platforms for exhibition and
For further information / images / opportunities for commissions as well as ways of encouraging cross-cultural exchange
interviews, contact: especially important in the current climate.
Daisy Mallabar
(International press) Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA) was founded in 1999. It is the first
t. +44 (0) 7966031418 state Russian museum that concentrates exclusively on the art of the 20th and 21st
daisy.mallabar@v-a-c.ru centuries. Today the Museum, with its five venues in the historic centre of the city,
plays a vital part in the Moscow art scene. The Museums permanent collection
Anastasia Sharipova represents major stages in the formation and development of the avant-garde,
(Russian press) especially in Russia. One of the Museums priorities is to promote young and
t. +7 (926) 534 06 57 emerging artists, bringing them into the contemporary artistic process and to create
anastasia.sharipova@v-a-c.ru inclusive projects.

v-a-c@v-a-c.ru
www.v-a-c.ru