KAREN KILIMNIK

VODKA COCKTAILS AT THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM IVAN + RUDY, 2004 WATER SOLUBLE OIL COLOUR, GLITTER, ARCHIVAL GLUE ON CANVAS, FRAMED 76 × 66 × 9 CM COURTESY GALERIE EVA PRESENHUBER

AMERICAN ARTIST KAREN KILIMNIK HAS DEVELOPED AN OBSESSION WITH BALLET, IN PARTICULAR THE CLASSICAL AND ROMANTIC STORY BALLETS OF THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES. SHE SEES IT THROUGH THE PRISM OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE. SEVERAL OF HER WORKS RELATE TO THE RUSSIAN STAR DANCER RUDOLF NUREYEV, WHO REGULARLY STAYED AT HOTEL EUROPE WHEN DANCING AT THE ZURICH OPERA HOUSE-HE EVEN HAS A SUITE NAMED AFTER HIM. “VODKA COCKTAILS AT THE RUSSIAN TEAROOM IVAN+RUDY” IS BASED ON A COCKTAIL MENU AT THE RUSSIAN TEAROOM IN NEW YORK, A PLACE THAT NUREYEV LIKED TO VISIT WHEN HE WAS IN TOWN.