Limited edition publication: The Real Thing

This catalog is published in conjunction with the exhibition Russian Émigré Artists in New York—The Real Thing, organized by the Russian American Cultural Center (RACC) in cooperation with the Harriman Institute of Columbia University. The exhibition is on view at Columbia University October 22–November 20, 2018.

Many Russian émigré artists have invigorated the New York art scene over the past three decades. The ’90s was a particularly important decade for these artists’ integration and search for relevance in contemporary art and critical discourse, areas that remained inaccessible to them in Russia during the post-Soviet transition. The Real Thing aims to revisit and revitalize the history of Russian artists in New York during the 1990s and early 2000s, a time when the history of contemporary Russian art was in the making—in America.

The exhibition of Russian Émigré Artists in New York—The Real Thing marks the twentieth anniversary of RACC, and highlights twenty-five years of curatorial work in the U.S. by art historian and RACC founder Regina Khidekel. This unique publications is a comprehensive survey of Dr. Khidekel's curatorial work and RACC's artistic mission, accompanied by an article, exhibition highlights and bibliography.