Video as an artistic practice is fairly new to Russia, with its origins dating back to the mid-1980s. Video only truly emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the first spaces devoted to contemporary art were established.
The first post-Soviet years involved radical changes affecting the economic, political, and social structure of the country at all levels. Video turned out to be the most effective instrument artists had at their disposal for giving voice to their deep-seated need to define their identity.
The new media helped artists to explain their role and function within the “new Russia” to the broader public. After many years of being relegated to the semi-clandestine realm of their flats and studios, they could now build a dialogue with the world beyond the once insurmountable Iron Curtain.
