Russian-born conceptual artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov are among the most celebrated artists of their generation. Known for their pioneering large-scale environments and installations, the artists’ work fuses the everyday with the conceptual. Deeply rooted in the visual culture of Soviet society yet speaking equally to universal themes, their work is characterised by a sense of melancholia and humour.

Celebrating five decades of work, this exhibition catalogue traces a line from Ilya Kabakov’s early paintings, drawings, albums and installations to the collaborative projects Ilya and Emilia have created together since 1987, which include immersive installations and architectural models. Exploring the themes of failed utopia and political disillusionment that run through their work, as well as fantasies of escape and transcendence, it also examines the relationship between aesthetics and politics, and the way painting has remained a central feature of their work in ever- diverse forms.

Fully illustrated with over 100 works, a selection of texts from leading art writers and historians, descriptive captions and the artists’ own writings interspersed throughout, this book provides an insight into a career full of innovation and originality.