Fabula gallery
Fabula [ˈfaː.bʊ.łə] (from Latin fabula – ‘story’) – A series of events which forms the basis of a story or narrative, a term used in literature and film studies.
“Fabula is the raw material of the story. It can comprise the fate of the hero and provide the content out of which the narrative is developed . The plot (syuzhet) is a manifestation of style. It is the compositional construction of the work.”
(V.B Shklovsky, Material and Style in Lev Tolstoy's “War and Peace,” from the chapter “The Plot of the Novel and its Connection with the Material” (Federation, 1928), 220)
About Us
Fābula gallery was founded in 2019 in Moscow as a project which would marry contemporary art and collectible design. The border between these spheres is ephemeral and often defined by the functionality of an object. We strongly believe in the ideal of an organic synthesis of all art forms: the juxtaposition and interaction of the physical objects around us generates new meaning, new scenarios in which we are living.
The artists with whom we are working belong to different generations and work with various media and techniques, although they are all united by the same artistic vision. We believe in a coy*, non-dogmatic approach to art history as the curatorial method behind our collection and our exhibitions.
* (en. “coy”: “coy science” - a term introduced by Donald Preziosi in his book “Rethinking Art History: Meditations on Coy Science”, 1989, Yale University Press )
Curatorial platform and international development
Fābula gallery also functions as a curatorial platform in the field of collectible design. We see our goal in the development and popularisation of this sphere in Russia. In a series of collaborations entitled “fābula ×” we have created unique objects at the intersection of art and product design, all based on the sketches and prototypes created by artists and architects. Going beyond the scope of their traditional practice, our artists enter into dialogue with traditional craft guilds and the modern manufacturers with which the gallery collaborates.
We supervise the entire process completely; from the development of the initial sketches to the strategy of promoting the final product. The functional art objects which have been created as a result of these collaborations offer a new, poetic, look at the relationship between materials and the very concept of “functionality”.
