Anatoly Zverev. Open storage

A Project Dedicated to the 10th Anniversary of AZ Museum

AZ Museum presents its first project in the renovated space — "Anatoly Zverev. Open Storage". This is a bold statement about the artist and his era that challenges the traditional notion of a museum exhibition. For the first time, the entire collection of the master's works is displayed in an open storage format, where the boundary between archive and exhibition is erased. Here, the viewer transforms from a passive observer into an active explorer. The curatorial concept does not impose a rigid route but invites each visitor to independently build meaningful connections within the extensive body of work.

This project is a natural culmination of the museum's decade of work, the formation of the collection by its founder Natalia Opaleva, and in-depth research into the life and art of Anatoly Zverev.

Natalia Opaleva, Founder and Director General of AZ Museum:
In 2025, AZ Museum turned 10 years old. Throughout this time, we have realized and continue to realize successful projects not only within the Museum walls but also at the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation in Florence, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, in Ivanovo, Irkutsk, and other Russian cities, setting a high standard for museum exhibitions. Today, organizing the re-launch of our project, we simultaneously preserve the Museum's core values while keeping pace with the times. Our focus remains on collecting and studying the work of Anatoly Zverev and other artists of unofficial art from the second half of the 20th century, as well as deep engagement with contemporary artists. Living and developing in the 21st century, it is impossible not to participate in all current processes — the AZ Museum collection reflects this aspiration.

The Exhibition

The exhibition features over 260 works by Anatoly Zverev, including 67 self-portraits by the artist and 88 works from the collection of the legendary collector George Costakis, donated to AZ Museum by the collector's daughter Aliki Costakis in 2013. George Costakis, as the artist's "guardian angel," not only supported Zverev but also preserved his works by taking paintings and drawings to Greece when they were officially deemed to have "no artistic value" in the USSR.

The second floor presents female portraits — well-known works and rare pieces from the archives.
"Sit down, darling, I'll immortalize you!" Zverev would tell his models. His portraits contain no prettiness for prettiness' sake — but they have precision: the turn of a head, half-lowered eyelids, a hazy or suddenly piercing gaze. Each subject here receives her own image — vivid, lyrical, and deeply personal. A separate section is dedicated to Oksana Aseeva — the artist's beloved and muse. Her famous portraits are displayed alongside rare works previously hidden in the archives.

"Through my drawings and paintings you can see and hear me," Anatoly Zverev

The curator of the museum opening project, Katya Bochavar, introduces a dynamic element into the exhibition — a site-specific dance video performance that organically unites all three floors of the museum space.

The exhibition is complemented by films and books about the artist, creating a polymorphic environment for deep immersion into the master's work and multifaceted dialogue with his legacy. The third floor houses a multifunctional zone where open storage of works combines with a pop-up cinema, concert venue, lecture hall, and space for workshops.

Katya Bochavar, Curator of the Museum Opening Project:
The vast body of Anatoly Zverev's works from the AZ Museum collection can be exhibited according to an infinite number of principles — from one based on scientific research methods to an artistic installation. This exhibition is a visual narrative presenting Zverev as a lyrical hero, whose art becomes a subject for telling stories about contemporary people, events, and cultural trends.

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