The idea behind “Hallways. Seven Worlds of Vysotsky” was to show some of these worlds and explain their roots. The exhibition is literally a sequence of hallways, each symbolizing a certain theme in Vysotsky’s poetry. Visitors will be able to walk from one hallway to another and see replicas of a Moscow communal apartment, a World War II trench, a Moscow alleyway, a mental hospital and a typical Soviet pub. The experience is similar to immersive theater. All the items are authentic: furniture, cutlery and clothing — there’s even fresh food in the kitchen. You can touch most of the items and even open drawers in a cupboard.
“Hallways” tackles just one aspect of Vysotsky: his poetry. The exhibition only briefly mentions his work as an actor or his tumultuous personal life in the section devoted to the artist’s biography. The poems escort you along the way. Handwritten and typewritten drafts are displayed on the walls, while the headphones’ recording explains the visuals provided within the “hallways.”
In every hallway there’s background information explaining why this or that theme appeared in Vysotsky’s oeuvre. The communal apartment tells the story of the poet’s childhood; a dangerous alleyway refers to widespread crime in Moscow after World War II; and the psychiatric ward is Vysotsky’s reflection on the U.S.S.R. as a whole.
The exhibition is the brainchild of Yan Vizinberg, the creative director of Lorem Ipsum, the company that participated in the creation of multimedia installations for the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg and Zaryadye Park in Moscow. To produce the exhibition, he gathered a film crew. Production designer Andrei Ponkratov, who worked with Andrei Zvyagintsev on “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” served as the art director; while cinematographer Vladislav Opelyants, known for working with embattled director Kirill Serebrennikov on his last two movies, “The Student” and “Summer,” was the lighting designer.
After exhibiting at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, “Hallways. Seven Worlds of Vysotsky” will tour Russia and other former Soviet countries. It runs through Sept. 23.
Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, 11 Ulitsa Obraztsova, Bldg. 1A. Metro Maryina Roshcha. jewish-museum.ru