Today is 'Cosmonaut's Day' (День Космонавтики)!  We celebrate with an evening tour of our current exhibition with the artist, Olga Jurgenson, and a talk by Alisa Prudnikova, the influential and high-profile Director of the Urals Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art, on a rare visit to London. Aptly, Olga's works in this exhibition are themed around the theories of Nikolai Fyodorov, the 'cosmist' philosopher who inspired Soviet achievements in outer space. Alisa’s talk will include the possibilities of the Biennial format, Mobilisation as the major theme of last year’s Ural Biennial and working with architectural heritage. In English, followed by drinks.  

6pm doors open;

6.30pm tour of exhibition with the artist, Olga Jurgenson;

7pm talk and Q&A with Alisa Prudnikova;

8pm drinks and themed snacks;

8.30pm close. 

Alisa Prudnikova is Commissioner and Artistic Director of the Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art.  She has been the Director of the Ural Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) since 2005 and the director of the ”New Art” – Regional Public Foundation for Contemporary Art Support and Development since 2013, where she was responsible for the New NCCA international architectural competition to build a new museum in Moscow. She served as an expert (2006-2008, 2011-2013, 2015) and a juror (2009) of “Innovation”, the first Russian national award in contemporary arts. Most recently, she has worked to promote strategies for regional development through contemporary art practices in the framework of the national project of the Houses of New Culture. 

Olga Jürgenson graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg, based in the UK since 2002. Participant in significant group exhibitions globally, including 56th Venice Biennial, MANIFESTA, Liverpool, Moscow and Ural biennials. In 2011 was nominated for Kandinsky Prize. Her most recent solo exhibitions were at the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia (2013) and New Hall Art Collection, University of Cambridge, UK (2014). Olga's works are in state and private collections across the world, including the State Russian Museum, the National Centre for Contemporary Art (Russia), Oulu Art Museum (Finland), the University of Cambridge. Olga co-curated (with Alfredo Cramerotti, Director of MOSTYN) the National Pavilion of Mauritius at the 56th Venice Biennale.

Ticket prices £10, £7.  There are 10 free places available for students who register in advance and present a valid student's card on arrival.  Please email office@ pushkinhouse.org.uk to register.