„The Brotherhood of New Blockheads (1996-2002)“,
curated by Daniel Baumann
3 MAY until 28 JUN 2025
Opening – 2 MAY 2025, 6-9 pm
„Take a Leap in Five Acts“, 1996
Igor Panin, Sergey Spirikhin
Courtesy BQ, Berlin
Photo: Roman März, Berlin
The Brotherhood of New Blockheads was a performance group in St. Petersburg active between 1996 and 2002. Almost unknown in the West (and also in Russia), their art remains largely a mystery to be discovered.
The New Blockheads consisted of Vadim Flyagin, Igor Panin, Sergey Spirikhin, Inga Nagel, Vladimir Kozin, Maxim Rayskin, Oleg Khvostov and Alexander Lyashko and in just five years, they staged over 100 performances. Full of absurdity, poetry and humor, these seemingly useless performances reflected their time and the disintegrating Soviet Union. Art didn’t matter back then, and that was precisely its significance.
Installation view „The Brotherhood of New Blockheads (1996-2002)“, curated by Daniel Baumann, BQ Berlin, 2024.
Courtesy BQ, Berlin
Photo: Roman März, Berlin
„ON LITEYNY“ Situational performance Liteyny Prospekt 52, Saint Petersburg Artist: Igor Panin
Photo: Alexander Lyashko
TEACH YOURSELF TO SEE
Performance with readings
Borey Gallery, Saint Petersburg
1 May 1996
Initiator: Larisa Nazentseva
Artists: Igor Panin, Sergey Spirikhin, Vadim Flyagin
Photo: Alexander Lyashko
The exhibition at BQ in Berlin is the first in Germany to show a selection of around 25 artworks and performances.
The exhibition is curated by Daniel Baumann (Director Kunsthalle Zürich 2015-2025) with the support of Peter Belyi (artist and curator, St. Petersburg).
Installation view „The Brotherhood of New Blockheads (1996-2002)“, curated by Daniel Baumann, BQ Berlin, 2024.
Courtesy BQ, Berlin
Photo: Roman März, Berlin
„Roly-Poly“, 1999
Vadim Flyagin
Courtesy BQ, Berlin
Photo: Roman März, Berlin