Projects

Dior and the Ruarts Foundation present a large-scale international exhibition dedicated to the legendary Lady Dior bag, to be held in Moscow from 16 October to 30 November.

The idea of this exhibition debuted in Japan in 2011 and subsequently travelled to Berlin, Dusseldorf, Milan, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Beijing, Tokyo and Shanghai. The Lady Dior As Seen By exposition consists of works by photographers and sculptors from all over the world, who were tasked with creating an artistic interpretation of the iconic Lady Dior handbag model.

This project actually blurs the line between design and art, attracting both well-known and very young local artists, who together form an eclectic panorama and reflect the international art scene.

In total, 90 art objects will be presented at the Lady Dior As Seen By exhibition: 36 sculptures and 54 photographs by 70 authors. They include Ellen Von Unwerth, Paolo Roversi, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, GIMHONGSOK, Olympia Scarry and the Recycle Group, as well as young Russian artists specially invited for the Moscow project: Daniil Antropov, Anastasia Prahova, 01001011 Studio, 0331C, Alexander Egorov, Dasha Trofimova and Alexey Kiselyov. Each of them produced a unique work inspired by the legendary model, transforming it with their own authorial technique. The authors were all given carte blanche, taking them beyond the boundaries of their disciplines, frameworks and techniques.

Lady Dior As Seen By is a union of Fashion House and art, combining the past, present and future and emphasizing this established dialogue.

The Lady Dior bag was created in 1995 and presented to Diana the Princess of Wales by First Lady of France Bernadette Chirac during a visit to the Cézanne exhibition at Le Grand Palais in Paris. The bag became a constant and favourite accessory of the princess; in 1996 it was renamed Lady Dior, with Diana’s consent. Since then Lady Dior has become one of the most popular designer bags, associated with the most beautiful women in the world – Carla Bruni, Diane Kruger, Monica Bellucci, Isabelle Adjani, Sharon Stone, Dakota Jones, Bella and Gigi Hadid, and Anya Taylor-Joy. The Lady Dior bag can be recognized by the cannage motif (caning), and the elegant and refined details have made it a timeless and classic piece. The symbol and legend of the Lady Dior bag is a constant source of inspiration and reinvention.

Co-curator of the Moscow exhibition Nina Gomiashvili is an expert in the field of photography; the curator and founder of Pobeda, one of the first professional photo galleries in Moscow.  

Russian artists participating in the exhibition:

Daniil Antropov – artist and sculptor. He studied techniques of working with ceramics with Japanese masters. Antropov’s objects cease to be utilitarian and acquire a new identity thanks to bold experiments: the combination of traditional technologies and the use of unexpected materials. For the artist the process of this mutation becomes a material metaphor for revolutionary events taking place in society.

Anastasia Prahova – an artist working mainly with plaster sculpture. The author tries to share her traumatic experience and evoke an emotional response from the viewer through fragile plaster forms similar to a flexible, soft body. She is interested in psychoanalysis, Japanese culture including shibari, mythology, horror films and the game industry.

01001011 Studio – an alliance between sculptor Tosya Mlinarich and architect Sasha Raev, who have been creating handmade ceramic art objects since 2017. In their work the artists try to rethink traditional ceramic techniques and forms with the help of non-standard solutions, experimenting with volumes, textures and modern technologies.

0331с – graffiti artist and sculptor. He works with various media including graphics, sculpture and photography. A characteristic feature of his authorial style is 0331c’s use of fire, soot and a fire extinguisher as a tool. The artist also creates sculptures from stones and minerals found on the street, carving them with a stonecutter’s chisel.

Alexander Egorov – a Russian artist working with photography. In his practice Egorov combines photography and digital technologies using the deconstruction technique. Egorov’s works are devoted to information saturation and overconsumption, the aesthetics of imperfection and the modelling of neoreality.

Dasha Trofimova – a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, installation, sound and video. In her work she focuses on the themes of memory and the search for identity in the post-Soviet space through her own experience, while placing them in a broader context. The photographic language used in her works is very close to the concept of the Dior exhibition – a collaboration of photography and sculpture.

Alexey Kiselyov – an eminent photographer renowned for his glossy magazine features and collaboration with many international publications: Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, Tatler, I-D, Another Magazine. He is distinguished by a subtle understanding of style and modern photographic language, bordering on irony.