Nebozvon (Skybell) 1919

Curator: What a fascinating artwork. This is Aristarkh Lentulov's "Nebozvon," or "Skybell," painted in 1919. Editor: My immediate feeling is one of…disorientation, but a joyful disorientation! It's almost aggressively cheerful. The distorted forms and riotous colors give the city a dreamlike quality. Curator: The use of vibrant colors definitely suggests that feeling. Lentulov was part of the Russian Avant-Garde movement, particularly drawn to Cubism and Futurism, as well as Fauvism; we can see the influence of all these styles in "Skybell." But what really grabs me is the sense of disruption, likely mirroring the societal upheaval following the Revolution. Editor: Absolutely. Look at the recurring dome motifs. We understand they represent churches, their gold reflecting the sun. Lentulov almost seems to be dismantling this architectural symbol, playing with our ingrained visual expectations, as if showing the fractures in faith and structure that were occurring at the time. Curator: Exactly, it can be considered in terms of radical questioning of traditional institutions and societal values. Editor: Yes. And I read the encompassing, colorful arcs above as an ambiguous omen, it can be a rainbow, but also a distorted sky pressing upon the town. I am also drawn to the rainbow depicted right there. In this socio political and cultural context, what do you consider the importance of colors associated to such specific spectrum. Curator: Those colorful arches could suggest that despite the difficult cultural and social situation, there are still hope signs or hope bridges on what concerns religious syncretism and cultural awareness towards old sacred rituals, for a renewal based on identity and tolerance Editor: Perhaps a way to tie those old traditions and belief, not towards cultural appropriation but for new belief frameworks. I appreciate the multiplicity and its invitation to a non-linear reading, both concerning societal structure, personal freedom and traditional faith. This image is quite striking! Curator: Agreed. It invites a deeper engagement with its historical and social complexities. A fascinating window into a turbulent era.