Vladimir Sorokin's Art Exhibition "Blue Lard - Cancel Russian Culture" to Open at Guelman and Unbekannt Gallery in Berlin

World-renowned Russian writer and emerging artist, Vladimir Sorokin, is set to unveil his groundbreaking art exhibition, "Blue Lard - Cancel Russian Culture," at the Guelman and Unbekannt Gallery in Berlin on October 12. The exhibition offers a unique perspective into the multi-faceted creative world of Vladimir Sorokin.

Vladimir Sorokin

A Door to Sorokin's Art:

"Blue Lard - Cancel Russian Culture" serves as another door into Sorokin's artistry, offering a profound exploration of his literary and visual talents. The exhibition's title, "Blue Lard," alludes to Sorokin's iconic novel, where cloned Russian literary classics are transformed in a Siberian laboratory, giving birth to a unique product known as "blue lard." This blue lard, a thematic centerpiece of Sorokin's work, challenges the second law of thermodynamics.

Sorokin himself reflects on the inspiration behind the project, saying, "In early 2018, during a casual conversation, the idea sparked in my mind — why not bring to life the handwritten texts of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Nabokov, Akhmatova, and Pasternak as they would have penned them? These texts, meticulously written in their own hand, had never been seen before."

Sorokin's creative journey led to the birth of "Blue Lard — the exhibition" He transcribed authentic texts by renowned authors in their signature handwriting.

Each page was adorned with Sorokin's pen and pencil drawings, ink blots, grease stains, chocolate smudges, and jam stains, corresponding to the psychosomatic state of the respective author. 

AI and the Resurrection of Literary Clones:

Enter Marat Guelman, the visionary art curator. He proposed a parallel project based on Sorokin's novel, employing the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Collaboratively, Sorokin and AI embarked on an extraordinary journey that lasted nearly three months. The results astonished the author of "Blue Lard" himself.

Cloned literary classics sprung to life, embracing a newfound existence. Sorokin confesses, "Thanks to these works, I discovered much that was unexpected and new about my characters, who are no longer mine alone. They are entities in their own right, observing us, reflecting our challenges—political correctness, the desacralization of Russian literature, and the concept of 'cancel Russian culture.'"

Exhibition Details:

Name: "Blue Lard - Cancel Russian Culture" by Vladimir Sorokin
Opening Date: October 12, 2023
Location: Guelman and Unbekannt Gallery, Berlin

"Blue Lard - Cancel Russian Culture" promises to be a transformative experience, inviting viewers to reimagine and reconsider Russian culture, literature, and art through the eyes of one of the most influential voices in contemporary literature and art.