The Garden
Инсталляция. 1978, 1979
- Enamel, hardboard. Diptych: 260 x 290 each. Explanatory text: 117 x 105. 24 framed texts: C. 51 x 34,9 each
- НТ-272/1-2, а; 272/6
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Location in museum
The Marble Palace,
Room 21
Open the panorama of the hall in the virtual tour
- Period Late 20th century – 21st century
- CategoryAbstraction
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The only painterly element in this multipartite installation is the diptych. A further panel contains an explanatory text that describes the painting in detail. The painting is flanked by framed pictures, which themselves are texts, imaginary viewers' commentaries on The Garden invented by Kabakov. These statements range from brief descriptions, banal or intelligent interpretations, all the way to fragments of overheard conversation that appear to have no connection with the painting at all.
In many of his works Kabakov explores the relationship of language to writing and visual imagery. Both in the classical modern tradition and in that of Socialist Realism - if under a different sign - commentary inherent in the image plays an important role. Il'ja Kabakov mistrusts texts profoundly.
The Garden graphically illustrates the dubious nature of commentary and interpretation by quoting texts whose absurdity demonstrates the impossibility of making a clear, let alone an ideologically colored, statement about a work of art. In addition, the texts presented by the artist as little paintings, whose context in the overall installation prompts us to read them as paintings rather than texts, blurring the distinction between the linguistic and the visual level.
The only painterly element in this multipartite installation is the diptych. A further panel contains an explanatory text that describes the painting in detail. The painting is flanked by framed pictures, which themselves are texts, imaginary viewers' commentaries on The Garden invented by Kabakov. These statements range from brief descriptions, banal or intelligent interpretations, all the way to fragments of overheard conversation that appear to have no connection with the painting at all.