In the fluid space of these works, we are overcome by a complex feeling of melancholy, or, more accurately, an experience of luminous melancholy. This state of mind, so important in Russian literature, can often be captured in the descriptions of natural scenes or gardens in the classics.

It is in the cool twilight of the apple orchard that we encounter this movement of the soul. One could say that the state of melancholy, although not clearly defined, is nevertheless contemplative in nature and is achieved through a distracted gaze into the distance. By transforming this distracted contemplation into a tool, Kass’s painting paradoxically continues the literary tradition of the late Golden Age and highlights the complex experience of the fragility of reality, unique to Russian culture.

Curator: Alexey Korsi