About the artwork

One of the projects for “The Palace of Projects” has transformed into an independent installation. Kabakovs write the following story on behalf of a fictional character:

1. Solomatkin, Chauffeur, Kishinev

How can you make yourself better, kinder, more decent? More than one generation of moralists, thinkers and religious figures haves racked their brains over this problem of how to rid oneself of the majority of your shortcomings, faults, in a word, how to change in a better, more moral direction. The majority sees the only possibility for change by the person himself, of his internal “I,” others see it in strict adherence to moral laws, still others see it in the renunciation of earthly temptations and in following a religious path.

Each of these ways is correct, having set out on it you can achieve the desired goal. Not refuting any one of them, our project foresees yet another possibility. It consists in the daily procedure which despite its seeming simplicity, can turn out to be extraordinarily effective.

You need to make two wings from white tulle fabric, using the same sketch that is appended to the project, and also leather straps for attaching these wings on your back and fixing them in place. After this, having stayed alone in your room (this condition is fairly important, for both the productivity of the impending activity, as well as for avoiding undesirable reactions on the part of other people in the family) you should put on the wings, and sit completely without anything to do and in silence for 5-10 minutes, after which you should turn to your usual endeavors without leaving the room. After 2 hours you should repeat the initial pause again. After 2-3 weeks of daily procedures, the affect of the white wings will begin to manifest itself with greater and greater force.