Exhibition Project Split Together, Merged Apart deliberately employs archaeological research methods to construct a space that unifies exhibits from different eras—from ancient artifacts to contemporary artworks. Like the art of kintsugi, where golden repair lines highlight rather than conceal damage, this project emphasizes the process of reconstructing historical connections. Here, restoring lost meanings carries as much significance as displaying material evidence from the past.
The exhibition's key architectural element is a system of structures referred to as metaphorical "frames." These elements form the conceptual foundation of the display, creating a unified presentational field where archaeological finds and archival documents attain equal visual status.
The design consciously balances scholarly accuracy with artistic interpretation. Inspired by archaeological excavations—with their provisional structures, material simplicity, and fieldwork conditions—the aesthetic transforms into a contemporary visual language. The result is a unique perceptual lens where documentary precision coexists with metaphorical expression.
Free navigation is another conceptual cornerstone. Spectators become active participants, free to draw their own connections between exhibits and generate a living, evolving narrative. In this way, the exhibition functions as a dynamic system — an open field for interpretation.
The exhibition's key architectural element is a system of structures referred to as metaphorical "frames." These elements form the conceptual foundation of the display, creating a unified presentational field where archaeological finds and archival documents attain equal visual status.
The design consciously balances scholarly accuracy with artistic interpretation. Inspired by archaeological excavations—with their provisional structures, material simplicity, and fieldwork conditions—the aesthetic transforms into a contemporary visual language. The result is a unique perceptual lens where documentary precision coexists with metaphorical expression.
Free navigation is another conceptual cornerstone. Spectators become active participants, free to draw their own connections between exhibits and generate a living, evolving narrative. In this way, the exhibition functions as a dynamic system — an open field for interpretation.
2025, GES-2 House of Culture
Curators: Yaroslav Aleshin, Katerina Chuchalina
Authors:
Art and Research: Sergei Azimov, Paweł Althamer, Alexey Artamonov, Igor Blidarev, Shuyi Cao, Ali Cherri, Lê Giang, Vera Inber, Nastya Indrikova and Ilyas Hajji, Sergei Kacheryats, Nikolai Karakhan, Magomed Kazhlaev, Rustam Khalfin, Boriy Khodjaev, Yuri Knorozov, Willem de Kooning, Irina Korina, Nigmat Kuzybaev, Harold Lawrence, Tigran Mkrtychev, Eldar Muratov, Mayana Nasybullova, Max Penson, Igor Persidsky, Vladimir Piliavsky, Sergei Piyanzin, Sigmar Polke, Anna Pronina, Ilya Sokolov, Alexandra Sukhareva, Ural Tansykbaev, Boris Zasypkin, Militsa Zemskaya
Documents: Boris Andrianov, Aleksandra Antonova, Georgy Argiropoulos, Alfred Ashkinezer, Abdullah Babahanov, Samuil Bubrik, Aida Epikhova, Zinovy Feldman, Marianna Itina, Nikolai Karmazinsky, Roman Karmen, Malik Kayumov, Aleksandra Kes, A. Klimov, I. Kolesnikov, Natalia Kovaleva, Aleksandr Krylov, O. Kuzmin, Lev Melehi, G. Mushkambarov, Anna Opochinskaia, Mark Orlov, Georgy Pavlidi, Vadim Pentman, Anatoly Pogorely, Yakov Poselskiy, Dan Psyol, Yuri Rapoport, S. Rukavishnikov, Igor Savitsky, Irina Setkina, V. Sobolevsky, Nikolai Tolstov, K. Tomashevsky, Arif Tursunov, Nina Vakturskaia, Sergei Vasilkovsky, Galina Veresotskaia, Dziga Vertov, Emilia Vinogradova, N. Yusov, Tatiana Zhdanko
Architecture: Sasha Kim, Ira Ten
Light: Ksenia Kosaya
Producers: Varvara Arkhipova, Maria Kalinina, Veronica Luchnikova, Ksenia Makshantseva
Technical production: Andrey Belov, Aleksandr Dolmatov, Artem Kanifatov, Maksim Lapshin, Pavel Luzhin, Mikhail Sarkisyants
Art logistics and registration: Angelina Korovina, Daria Krivtsova, Daria Maksimova
Graphic design: Mikhail Filatov, Maria Kosareva
Photographer: Daniel Annenkov
Сommissioned and produced by GES-2 House of Culture
Curators: Yaroslav Aleshin, Katerina Chuchalina
Authors:
Art and Research: Sergei Azimov, Paweł Althamer, Alexey Artamonov, Igor Blidarev, Shuyi Cao, Ali Cherri, Lê Giang, Vera Inber, Nastya Indrikova and Ilyas Hajji, Sergei Kacheryats, Nikolai Karakhan, Magomed Kazhlaev, Rustam Khalfin, Boriy Khodjaev, Yuri Knorozov, Willem de Kooning, Irina Korina, Nigmat Kuzybaev, Harold Lawrence, Tigran Mkrtychev, Eldar Muratov, Mayana Nasybullova, Max Penson, Igor Persidsky, Vladimir Piliavsky, Sergei Piyanzin, Sigmar Polke, Anna Pronina, Ilya Sokolov, Alexandra Sukhareva, Ural Tansykbaev, Boris Zasypkin, Militsa Zemskaya
Documents: Boris Andrianov, Aleksandra Antonova, Georgy Argiropoulos, Alfred Ashkinezer, Abdullah Babahanov, Samuil Bubrik, Aida Epikhova, Zinovy Feldman, Marianna Itina, Nikolai Karmazinsky, Roman Karmen, Malik Kayumov, Aleksandra Kes, A. Klimov, I. Kolesnikov, Natalia Kovaleva, Aleksandr Krylov, O. Kuzmin, Lev Melehi, G. Mushkambarov, Anna Opochinskaia, Mark Orlov, Georgy Pavlidi, Vadim Pentman, Anatoly Pogorely, Yakov Poselskiy, Dan Psyol, Yuri Rapoport, S. Rukavishnikov, Igor Savitsky, Irina Setkina, V. Sobolevsky, Nikolai Tolstov, K. Tomashevsky, Arif Tursunov, Nina Vakturskaia, Sergei Vasilkovsky, Galina Veresotskaia, Dziga Vertov, Emilia Vinogradova, N. Yusov, Tatiana Zhdanko
Architecture: Sasha Kim, Ira Ten
Light: Ksenia Kosaya
Producers: Varvara Arkhipova, Maria Kalinina, Veronica Luchnikova, Ksenia Makshantseva
Technical production: Andrey Belov, Aleksandr Dolmatov, Artem Kanifatov, Maksim Lapshin, Pavel Luzhin, Mikhail Sarkisyants
Art logistics and registration: Angelina Korovina, Daria Krivtsova, Daria Maksimova
Graphic design: Mikhail Filatov, Maria Kosareva
Photographer: Daniel Annenkov
Сommissioned and produced by GES-2 House of Culture
