Kiosk – a painting as a symbol of the Soviet era

Red news of a grey era. I will rewrite it differently. Everything in my work is leaning towards Cubism.

- Anatoli Gostev (1946–2022)

The story of a Soviet painting.

The idea for the painting first emerged in 2001 as a predecessor titled "Old Church", where one of the buildings bears the inscription “Kiosk”. That’s probably the only element they have in common. "Old Church" was sold to K-Galerie im Maxforum in central Munich.

Nine years later, the idea of building a new composition around that infamous inscription began to evolve into a new painting with a Cubist direction and a sense of the Soviet industrial era. “Red news of a grey era” is perhaps the most accurate description of this uncharacteristic work by the artist.

Old Church

Anatoli Gostev – 2001

The fate of the painting.

It is difficult to say whether the painting was ever completed in the artist’s own understanding. To his credit, all his canvases could be considered complete at any stage. The painting “Kiosk” was never exhibited and remained in the artist’s studio until his passing in 2022. For Gostev, the creative process behind the work was a new exploration of the figurative language of Cubism. One cannot say that memories of life in the USSR brought him joy. He painted it slowly and thoughtfully, but without the usual delight in beauty that accompanied his work.

Authenticity – Signature and Certificate.

The painting is not signed by the artist’s hand, but bears his official stamp. There are video recordings from his studio confirming its authenticity. The painting “Kiosk” is certified in the blockchain. Thanks to timestamping technology, the painting’s unique digital signature is permanently recorded in the blockchain, ensuring the immutability of data about its origin, authorship, and current ownership.

The COA certificate contains root certificate data extracted from the proof file (.ots). The root certificate of the painting, registered in the Bitcoin blockchain, can only be transferred to a new owner via a signed property transfer agreement, ensuring transparency and trust in future resale or ownership changes. This makes the authenticity of the painting “Kiosk” verifiable and valid for its entire lifetime.