About the artwork

This installation is one of the Kabakov’s masterpieces which has been re-created from time to time since 1984.

208 of “garbage” fragments such as pices of paper and tree barks with written texts are hanging on the sixteen ropes streaching across above head.  The texts consist of conversations on nature, child, health, house chores and love.

“The lilac is blooming beautifully!
We must bring it home.”

“Is there anywhere to go tonight?
Everything is so boring, I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t know what happened to the weather.
Please, put on the coat with the hood.”

“Come home earlier today.
You can help me paint the door.”

“If you will eat the soup, I will heat it… Just go and wash your hands. ”

“Why did you go in the mud?
Who will wash this for you?”

“We had such a good time.
Why didn’t you come in the evening?”

“When will you come home?
Masha is almost grown up. ”

“Do you love me?
Then go and buy the bread…”

“You’ll be leaving soon.
Look, everyone has left.”

The artist describes these phrases as “non-individualised speech which could belong to “each and every person”. In the Soviet era, Ilya Kabakov started to record voices of people in order to remember the society and people living in such society he belonged. This artwork reflects the artist’s desire to remember everyday life, emotion and life of every single person.