Insinuating the genesis and structure of the exhibition, the show is titled "Double Vision". Two curators, in two venues of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art show two opposite trends in art: reality and fiction. Two poles that constantly seem to be depicted in artistic contemplation, but still do not fail to fascinate.

The first section, covering the ordinary world or reality, includes such names as Yoko Ono, Chim↑Pom or  Kishio Suga, a vivid representative of the mono-ha movement („school of hings"). This postwar movement, marking a major turning-point in Japanese art history, was formed in the late sixties. Kishio Sugas piece separating space shows the main characteristics in their quintessences. Unaltered material that stands for itself, composed in a new way by the artists hand to alter or question its traditional meaning.

Yoko Ono's famous Cut Piece can be watched in two versions, one dated in 1965, one from 2003. The videos show her sitting nearly motionless on a chair, inviting the visitors to cut her dress in pieces as they pleased. 

The first section brings together artists that use art to reflect on their surroundings in different forms, this can be through use of material that has its origin in reality instead of an artificial one, or incorporation of the visitors as seen in Yoko Ono`s performance piece. Chim↑Pom`s miniature urban landscape though, haunted by an oversized rodent that has the same coat patterns as the Pokèmon Pikachu, shows that either section holds its fair share of fiction.

Kenji Yanobe "Sun Child" (on the left) 2011, H620 x W444 x D263 cm, FRP, steel, neon, others, Photo by MMOMA

Takashi Murakami "Polyrythm" 1991, Photo by Victor Boyko

Takashi Murakami "Polyrythm" 1991, Photo by Victor Boyko

(c)Yoshitomo Nara, Cortesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery, Photo by Yoshitaka Uchida

Izumi Kato "Untitled" 2009, Oil on canvas, 194 x 130.3 cm

Takahashi Collection, Courtesy of ARATANIURANO

Nara`s clear and seemingly naive forms speak an entirely diverse language than Kato`s vibrant colours and blurring silhouettes. Both show human figures in pictures with an abstract background composed out of one or different colours. 

The opposite, a spacious room without any anthropomorphisms detectable, could be a description of Yayoi Kusama`s work I`m here, but Nothing. A room, absolutely normal and in no apparent way outstanding on its own, seems to loose its distinct 3-dimensional character while being irradiated by bright disco-lights. The darkness of the room, in  contrast to the intensity of the light-dots, transforms every surface that into a screen, a canvas for their colours. The room therefore becomes a carrier for a painting made out of light. By entering the room though, the visitor discovers that it was an illusion and that the light-dots are actually not made by a disco-ball at all but fixed on the walls, chairs etc.

I think an exhibition with such a variety of different artists is always worth a visit. And it never gets boring either, the pieces awake curiousness for its details as well as  impressions of monumental proportions, they tease and bewilder but never fail to touch!

For more see this video made by MmoMA: