Russian Avant-Garde from the Tsarenkov Collection

Russian and early Soviet modernism has come to Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein in the form of 63 preeminent works by the protagonists of these movements. The works form part of the extensive collection of Vladimir Tsarenkov, London. They have been on permanent loan at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein since early 2021 and are now shown to the public for the first time.

The Tsarenkov Collection, London, is one of the largest private collections of avant-garde art from Russia and the Soviet Union. It comprises paintings, sculptures and works on paper from before the October Revolution of 1917 as well as the following decades. The collection is characterised by its extraordinary quality and a wealth of exponents otherwise only found in the foremost Russian museums. Assembled with the greatest expertise, it has evolved over many decades, frequently as a result of close bonds and cooperation with descendants of the various artists.

The selection of works which will remain permanently at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is the perfect complement to the holdings of the Hilti Art Foundation, which are exhibited in changing displays in the Kunstmuseum’s annexe. They already present an excellent overview of early 20th-century art in Western Europe. The works form an excellent complement to the ensemble of works by Marcel Duchamp in the museum’s collection and the complete reconstruction of Alexander Rodchenko’s Worker’s Club (1925), which has been permanently installed since 2015.

The permanent loans include outstanding works by the “Jack of Diamonds” group (active in Moscow, 1910–17) and post-revolutionary art until the mid-1930s. Alongside renowned artists, the collection also includes artists yet to be discovered in the West. All 63 works will be exhibited from June 6 until September 5, 2021. There will also be a catalogue with texts by Aleksandra Shatskikh and reproductions of all works.

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein sees the permanent loans both as an acknowledgement of its exhibition policy over the past two decades, in which Russian modernism has always played a central role, and as a commitment to continue this programme in the future.

Exhibition and catalogue:

Russian Avant-Garde from the Tsarenkov Collection
The permanent loan at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
June 6—September 5, 2021

Alexander Archipenko, Vladimir Baranoff-Rossiné, Alexander Bogomasov, David Burliuk, Vladimir Burliuk, Ilya Chashnik, Aleksandr Deineka, Aleksandra Ekster, Natalia Goncharova, Boris Grigoriev, Alexej Jawlensky, Ivan Kliun, Pyotr Konchalovsky, Mikhail Larionov, Aristarkh Lentulov, Kazimir Malevich, Ilya Mashkov, Mikhail Matyushin, Lyubov Popova, Vladimir Stenberg, Alexander Vesnin, David Yakerson

Edited by Friedemann Malsch, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
Preface by Friedemann Malsch
Contribution by Aleksandra Shatskikh
Graphic design by Nana Shekhter-Pusenkoff
Published by Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, 2021
Softback, 28.7 × 25.1 cm
100 pages, 78 colour illus.
ISBN 978-3-906790-42-8 (German)
ISBN 978-3-906790-41-1 (English, available by the end of June)