Der unterschätzte Architekt der Avantgarde
The Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare in Bolzano is hosting a comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Ilja Sdanewitsch, known as Iliazd, a Georgian-Russian-French avant-garde polymath. The exhibition, titled "Toutité Iliazd. Die Erforschung der Form," showcases his diverse output as a writer, designer, and publisher who viewed the book as a primary art object. The display includes architectural reliefs, textile designs for Coco Chanel, and his significant collaborations with icons like Picasso and Duchamp.
This exhibition is significant because it seeks to reposition Iliazd from a background figure to a central protagonist of 20th-century modernism. By highlighting his role in creating Marcel Duchamp’s "Boîte-en-valise" and his pioneering typography, the show challenges the traditional hierarchy of the avant-garde. It underscores the importance of transdisciplinary figures who operated at the intersection of graphic design, publishing, and fine art, yet remained largely overlooked by the general public.