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Cooper Union's Vkhutemas exhibition to open April 25th, with an expanded study of historical and political context

2023-04-18T11:15:00-04:00

The Cooper Union’s controversial Vkhutemas: Laboratory of Modernism, 1920–1930 has set an opening date months after being postponed and then remounted following backlash over censorship claims and its appropriateness in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

April 25th is the new public opening for the exhibition, which will run through May 5th in the school’s Arthur J. Houghton Jr. Gallery.

The move was announced Monday by President Laura Sparks, who said: “The Cooper Union has always been a forum for courageous public discourse, a place where new ideas, as well as opposing viewpoints, are expressed and explored to advance a just and thriving world. Since the 19th century, the institution has served as a center of learning and civic engagement to address the critical challenges and opportunities of the day. There is value in examining the teachings of Vkhutemas, and it is critical that we expanded the study to probe and learn from the broader geopolitical circumstances surrounding th...

Cooper Union will remount Vkhutemas exhibition following internal review and outside criticism

2023-02-07T11:30:00-05:00

The Cooper Union has announced it will remount its Vkhutemas exhibition in a reversal apparently brought on by discussions with students, co-organizers, curators Anna Bokov and Steven Hillyer, and members of the school’s Ukrainian community.

In a letter dated February 6, the school’s President Laura Sparks, Acting Dean Hayley Eber, and Exhibitions Committee Chair Alexander Tochilovsky explained their reasoning as the following:

“Leadership also carefully reviewed letters and fielded outreach from colleagues, peers, and individuals from throughout our community. These conversations have been important and instructive, and have underscored both the significance of this exhibition and the need to frame this work within the broader geopolitical context, both then and now.”

“At its core, The Cooper Union has always been a forum for public discourse and dialogue addressing the challenges and opportunities of our time. The School of Architecture encourages students to investigate the rol...

Cooper Union postpones Vkhutemas exhibition in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine

2023-01-26T17:11:00-05:00

An exhibition at The Cooper Union examining Vkhutemas has been postponed by the institution amidst criticisms relating to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Vkhutemas was a Soviet art and technical school that existed from 1920 to 1930. It was a pioneer in the field of art and design education in the Soviet Union, playing a significant role in shaping the aesthetic of early Soviet art and architecture.

In an op-ed published on Archinect last week, Peder Anker, a Professor in History at NYU, outlined his opposition to the show, which was to be staged in the Houghton Gallery, just steps away from the Ukrainian Village and several important cultural sites associated with the large Ukrainian diaspora group that resides in New York City.

Previously on Archinect: The Cooper Union Promotes Russian Architecture. Why?

The op-ed originally suggested that Anna Bokov, the show's curator, is engaging in Russian propaganda, with direct ties to Vladimir Putin through her father, Andrey Bokov, the Nationa...