Lecture: “Vkhutemas and the Bauhaus: On Common Origins and Different Futures”

Welcome to a lecture on art, design and architecture.

The talk will focus on two radical schools Modernism — the German Bauhaus and Soviet Vkhutemas in anticipation of their approaching 100-year anniversaries — in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The talk will address the common origins and different futures of these two major centers of modern art, architecture, and design. Both schools defied academic canons of education in order to create entirely new models of interdisciplinary design training, making it collaborative, experimental, and socially engaged. While Vkhutemas is often referred to as the “Russian Bauhaus,” its seminal role within the larger cultural landscape of modernism has not been properly investigated. This marginal position is largely disproportional relative to the role that Vkhutemas played at the time of its existence. Even a cursory historical look reveals that the school’s contribution far exceeded the scope of pedagogical achievements. With the approaching centennial of Vkhutemas’ inception, it is high time to unveil the school’s true significance and to add its expansive vocabulary to present-day and future explorations in the fields of art, architecture, and design.

Led by Anna Bokov, Ph.D., Faculty, The Cooper Union & Parsons School of Design.

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