Ilia Dolgov. Artist, writer, plant grower, UI/UX designer. Born in 1984 in Voronezh, Russia. Lived and worked in Saint Petersburg before lefting the country after Russia's fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Currently studies Environmental Arts & Social Practice at the University of California Santa Cruz.
The life and professional interests of Ilia Dolgov lie in the liminal area between art, plant-growing, and natural philosophy. In his installations, writings, online projects, educational programs, and communicative situations, the artist seeks to initiate co-participation in the emergence of nature.
kustism@gmail.com
EDUCATION
— 2023-ongoing, Environmental Arts & Social Practice MFA, University of California Santa Cruz (USA).
— 2010, certificate in Contemporary Art Practices, Moscow institute of contemporary art (Russia).
— 2001-2006, BA and MA in Psychology, Voronezh state university (Russia).
PRIZES AND NOMINATIONS
— 2016 Winner of the “Credit Suisse and Cosmoscow art prize for young artists 2016”
— 2013, 2015 Nominee of the “Kandinskiy Prize” for contemporary art
— 2013 Winner of the granting program of the “Garage” museum of contemporary art
— 2012 Winner of the “Innovation 2012” Russian state award in the sphere of contemporary art, “The best regional project” nomination.
LONG-TERM INTERSISCIPLINARY PROJECTS
— 2019 and ongoing; author, lecturer, mentor, “Sciaponics”, art&plant-growing framework
— 2013 and ongoing; founder, editor and author, “Forest Journal”, online platform, forestjournal.org
RELATED EXPERIENCE
— 2021/22 Author, lecturer, and mentor, “Sciaponic Club” initiative, Assembly Space, Saint Petersburg, Russia (together with Daria Boldyreva)
— 2021 Author and lecturer, “Plant growing and art: mutual corruption” educational course, Moscow Anthropology school at Moscow International University, Russia
— 2021 Guest Lecturer, “Non-Human Heterotopias” summer school, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
— 2015/21 Author of Moscow Art Journal, Garage Journal Russia, SYG.MA platform
— 2009/21 dozens of public talks on art, nature phylosophy
— 2009/14 Co-founder, curator, lecturer, Voronezh Center for Contemporary Art
SOLO SHOWS
— 2019 “Breathing”-4, Rosa House of Culture, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
— 2019 “Metabolic Design”, XL Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— 2019 “Flaming Archipelago”, Vadim Sidur Museum, Moscow, Russia.
— 2018 “Drinking Set for Irises”, FFTN space, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
— 2018 “Reef-2”, XL Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— 2017 “Reef”, XL Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— 2016 “Herbarium”, Peresvetov pereulok gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— 2013—ongoing. “Forest Journal”, web-based research project, forestjournal.org
— 2015 “Model of Nature, Goethe’s model”, XL Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— 2014 “Azoikum”, Büro für kulturelle Übersetzungen, Leipzig, Germany.
— 2013 “Azoic”, Moscow zoological museum, supported by Gallery 21, Russia.
— 2012 “Herbarium”, H.L.A.M. gallery, Voronezh, Russia.
— 2010 “Simple Machines”, in collaboration with Polly, H.L.A.M. gallery, Voronezh, Russia.
— 2009 “Utopia is What You Need, But You is Not Utopia Has Need For”, Voronezh center for contemporary art, Voronezh, Russia.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
— “Xists: A Metabolic Laboratory Inspired by Solomon Nikritin”, Bauhaus Museum Dessau, Germany.
— “Deep deep forest”, PixxelPoint festival, Slovenia
2019
— “Botanical illustration”, Darwin Museum, Moscow, Russia.
— “The Most Northern Chinatown (Barents Spektakel 2019)”, Kirkenes, Norway.
2017
— “Mir: the village and the world”, Main project of the XII Krasnoyarsk Museum Biennale, Ploshchad Mira Museum Centre, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
— “So Close, So Far”, Taiga art space, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
— “Wild Flowers (wildness is contextual!)”, Narrative Projects Gallery, London, UK.
— “Living Alive”, National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow
— “Garage Triennial of Russian Contemporary Art”, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow
— “Elegance”, Russiantearoom gallery and curating agency, Paris
2016
— “Badlands”, Zarya center for contemporary art, Vladivostok, Russia.
— “Constructing the Future”, Russian national children library, Moscow, Russia.
— “Nature”, Victoria Gallery, Samara, Russia.
— “Experiences of the Imaginary”, New Holland: Cultural Urbanisation project, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
— “Living Alive”, Arsenal center for contemporary art, Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia.
2015
— “Observation of the open space”, Divnogorie national reserve and museum, Russia.
— “Phantom show”, city intervention, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2014
— “Not Museum”, Manifesta X parallel program, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
— “One Place Next to Another”, Winzavod center for contemporary art, Moscow, Russia.
— “Detective”, Moscow museum of contemporary art, Moscow, Russia.
— “To Catch a Tortoise”, Krasnodar institute of contemporary art, Krasnodar, Russia.
2013
— “No Water Tomorrow”, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia.
— “Space Lab”, Spinnerei, MITost fesival, Leipzig, Germany.
2012
— “Awaiting Environment”, Gallery 21, Moscow, Russia.
— “Strategical project”, 3rd Moscow biennale of young art, Russia.
— “Seems Something is Missing Here”, Winzavod centre for contemporary art, Moscow, Russia.
2011
— “Practical Knowledge”, GMG gallery, Moscow, Russia.
— “Phantom Monuments”, Garage museum of contemporary art, Moscow, Russia.
— “Forms of Rational”, H.L.A.M gallery, Voronezh, Russia.
2010
— “Live Museum of Performance”, VCCA, Voronezh, Russia.
— “Taming Time”, Project Fabrika, Moscow, Russia.
— “Foundations”, VCCA, Voronezh, Russia.
2009
— “The Next Step is Ours!”, VCCA, Voronezh, Russia.
— “Care” land-art festival, Divnogorie national park, Russia.
— “Can’t Take It Anymore”, VCCA, Voronezh, Russia.
2003-2006
— Member of art groups “Border Investigations” and “Popular Border Investigations”, Voronezh, Russia.
RESIDENCIES
— 2022 [upcoming] Crespo Foundation at Glenkeen Garden, Ireland.
— 2022 TUO TUO Arts, Finland. Supported by Artists at Risk (AR).
— 2014 Büro für kulturelle Übersetzungen, Leipzig, Germany
— 2013 Spinnerei, Leipzig, Germany.