The pop/off/art gallery presents a personal exhibition “Neo-constructivism” by Yuri Savelyevich Zlotnikov (1930–2016), a classic of post-war unofficial art and a pioneer of Thaw abstraction. One of the goals of the project is to study the visual language of Yuri Zlotnikov in parallel with the large-scale exhibition “Signal System” in the halls of the State Tretyakov Gallery. The curator's focus is on the artist's late period (1980-1990s). The exhibition will feature about 20 works by the author from five series: “Neo-Constructivism”, “Spatial Construction”, “Rhythmic Construction”, “Polyphonic Composition” and “Abstraction”.

According to art critic G. Elshevskaya, Zlotnikov’s creative path is divided into three stages: “psychophysiology”, during which the “Signal System” was created (1956-1962), “metaphorics” (1960s - late 1980s) and “thinking” (1980s – 2010s). The “Neo-Constructivism” project will be concentrated at the last stage. Having developed his “signal system” in the mid-20th century - the basic principles of the impact of art on the viewer - Yuri Zlotnikov uses it throughout his entire career. However, if during the “metaphorical stage” the author creates works that are not devoid of associations or narrative, then at the end of the century he again continues the line of completely non-objective art and turns out to be close to the laconicism of his language of the 1950s-60s.

As the titles suggest, in the series “Neo-Constructivism”, “Spatial Construction”, “Rhythmic Construction”, “Polyphonic Composition” and “Abstraction”, Yuri Zlotnikov turns to the ideas of the avant-garde and, in particular, constructivism. However, he transforms strict geometric shapes into lines and spots, in which the expressiveness of the artistic gesture is more pronounced. They can be divided into several types: straight and curved lines, zigzags, dotted lines, dots and large spots. Elements are combined into groups, sometimes separated by spatial pauses, and sometimes flowing from one to another. In this regard, the works are more reminiscent of a living pulsating structure than a clear diagram. The vibration of the work is enhanced by the use of contrasting shades. Despite the fact that in the works of the 1980-1990s the artist invariably works in gouache, tempera, watercolor and pastel on paper, they should be classified as painting, since color occupies a central place in them.

As part of two exhibitions of the author – “Signal System” at the New Tretyakov Gallery and “Neo-Constructivism” at the pop/off/art 2.0 gallery – the publication of Yuri Zlotnikov’s book “At the Origins of the Signal System” has been prepared. The publication is based on the master’s text, in which he describes step by step the principles of his “signal system”, which became the basis of his art and was reflected in the subsequent stages of his artistic career. The publication was made possible thanks to extensive work with the author’s archive, carried out by his grandchildren and heirs - Alexander Zlotnikov and Andrey Tyulenev, with whom the gallery has been exclusively cooperating since 2017.