Revolution Every Day – A Calendar – 1917-2017

The exhibition “Revolution Every Day” juxtaposes works of Soviet graphic art—primarily posters from the 1920s and 1930s, many by female artists such as Valentina Kulagina—with works on video and film, including excerpts from Dziga Vertov's documentary films from the 1930s, post-Soviet videos by artists like Olga Chernysheva, as well as a new commission by Cauleen Smith. Focused on the experiences of women under (and after) communism, these works involve viewers in visual and aural conversations concerning the temporality of the everyday, revealing how socialist labor involves feats of endurance and patience as much as heroic action. “Revolution Every Day” undermines our readymade responses to the Russian Revolution and makes it possible for Western audiences to experience Soviet visual art anew. This unique, small format companion to the exhibition, published in collaboration with the Smart Museum of Art (Chicago), is inspired by the tradition of Soviet tear-off calendars. The book has 365 calendar pages with daily entries featuring a range of images and texts drawn from primary and archival source materials that explore the historical and experiential dimensions of revolution. It presents multiple short essays and other original contributions from the curators, artists, and scholars, accompanied by full color illustrations of all of the works in the exhibition.