Elisabetta Cipriani speaks to Ilya and Emilia Kabakov about The Fly
Widely known as pioneers of conceptual art, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov are among the most significant international artists to have emerged in the late 20th century. Having worked together since the late 1980s, the Russian-born American based duo is best known for their paintings, drawings, and immersive installations which address ideas of utopianism. Elisabetta Cipriani invited the Kabakovs to discuss their expansive artistic career and wearable art collection, The Fly.
EC: You started working together in the late 1980s. What led to this artistic partnership, and why do you enjoy working together?
IEK: This is a loaded question and one we always try to avoid answering. How can you explain why your relationship works?...
For as long as jewellery has existed, jewels have been worn as amulets, charms, or talismans. A talisman is believed to carry magical and protective powers; some protect the wearer from danger or negative energy, others bring good fortune, and others serve as symbolic declarations of love, strength, and hope.
Talismanic jewellery is a universal form of adornment with prehistoric origins. In India and ancient Greece, gold was believed to have healing powers; ancient Chinese and Egyptian culture believed that jewels, such as turquoise and jade, were the keys to the afterlife; the Aztecs understood the mystical value of jewels, offering emeralds and jade to the gods by throwing them into the sea; and in traditional African and Islamic cultures, talismanic jewellery was worn to ward off evil spirits. Interest in talismanic jewellery, in their different forms, continues to...
