Elena Sharganova. Echo's Reach

About the exhibition

The Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the Free Workshops School of Contemporary Art present Echo's Reach, an exhibition by Elena Sharganova that continues the School’s artistic research into the phenomenon of single-industry towns.

Young contemporary artists often turn to memory as a way to explore identity, using the familiar language of nostalgia to connect with audiences. Reflecting on the contrasts between personal and collective memory, Elena Sharganova immerses the audience in complex processes through nostalgia and empathy.

The artist's hometown, Nelidovo, flourished as a coal mining centre from 1948 to 1996 and is now undergoing a difficult transformation. The closure of the mines at the end of the 20th century not only altered the economic landscape but also challenged the very foundation of the town’s identity. The former industrial rhythm has been replaced by an urgent need to reconnect with the past without being held captive by it, and to find new meanings that can unite a community in an era of deindustrialization.

In her project, Elena Sharganova focuses on two interrelated processes: the city's path towards a new future and the efforts of former miners to preserve the memory of the profession that defined their lives for decades. The artist documents oral histories of mine workers, recording not only the technicalities of their work, but also its emotional component — the sense of belonging to a closed professional community, pride in risky labour, specific humour, and rituals that shaped a unique corporate culture. These narratives form an archive that resists oblivion, transforming personal experience into collective legacy.

The project functions as a ritual of remembrance, revealing the mechanics of ‘three generations memory'. The older generation sanctifies work as the basis of identity; those who witnessed the mines’ closure grapple with confusion and loss; and young people seek new forms of self-identity outside the industrial past. The exhibition will feature more than 40 works in various media, including textile collages, graphics, interviews with residents and archival photographs.

Curator

Elena Sheveleva

About the artist

Elena Sharganova was born in Nelidovo, Tver region. She graduated from the Department of Easel Painting at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I. Surikov, was a resident of the 10th season of the Vinzavod Open Studios and is a graduate of the Rodchenko School and the Free Workshops. In 2019, she received a state scholarship for young artists. Elena works across various media, including textiles, painting, graphic arts, and ceramics.

About the school

The School of Contemporary Art Free Workshops is an educational platform of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art for young artists and curators. Founded in 1992 by a group of artists and art historians, including Alexander Ponomarev, Vladimir Kupriyanov, Vladimir Nasedkin, and Moscow State University professors Vera Dazhina and Valery Turchin, the School offers access to workshops lead by prominent speakers, cultural leaders, philosophers, and theorists of contemporary art. Through its educational programme, young artists and curators immerse themselves in the art world by participating in workshops, group exhibitions and festivals. As part of MMOMA, the Free Workshops School offers a unique opportunity to study theoretical and practical aspects of contemporary art from within its epicentre. At every stage of their journey, artists receive institutional support and are encouraged to take part in group exhibitions (such as the annual exhibitions of young art, group projects by young curators) and to hold solo exhibitions (through MMOMA Young Art Support Programme).