DISSIDENT KITCHEN: A Salon-style dinner honoring the spirit of artistic defiance

Step into TMORA after hours for Dissident Kitchen, a salon-style dinner (an intimate gathering where food, conversation, and ideas come together) inspired by the underground spirit of Soviet-era gatherings - where art, music, and resistance were shared behind closed doors.

TMORA’s Curator, Dr. Masha Zavialova, will open the evening with insights into the underground art movements of the Soviet era, offering a personal perspective on the courage, complexity, and lasting impact of the artists who lived through it.

Enjoy a multi-course meal by James Beard Award–nominated Chef Jamie Malone and Paris Dining Club. Drawing from the resourceful, beloved dishes of Soviet home kitchens, this menu transforms humble fare into a culinary tribute - celebrating the endurance and passion of nonconformist artists.

Dine among the bold works of creators who refused to conform to the aesthetics of the Soviet state. From the vivid, theatrical pieces of Mihail Chemiakin to the radical visions of Geometric Abstraction: Selections from the Kolodzei Art Foundation Collection - featuring Lydia Masterkova, Francisco Infante-Arana, Leonid Borisov, Maria and Natalia Elkonina and many more - these artists redefined the boundaries of artistic freedom. Their work carries forward the ethos of underground movements like the apartment exhibitions of the APTART movement - private acts of defiance that became cultural revolutions.

The nonconformist artists at the heart of this evening’s inspiration created outside the boundaries of Soviet state-approved art, driven by a commitment to free, unrestricted expression. Shut out of official platforms, they forged their own paths - proving that even under oppression, creativity could become an act of resistance.

Lev Frayman will perform songs of iconic Soviet bards, evoking the spirit of the kvartirniki - unofficial, often underground concerts held in Soviet apartments, where music and poetry offered a lifeline to truth and connection. Raise a vodka toast in their honor, and join us for a night where resistance is remembered through art, music, and a well-set table.