New New Age

The exhibition project explores current popular near-spiritual practices, from magic rituals to rave culture and wave theory.

Illustration: Dora Sidorenko

New New Age is an experience of cartography of contemporary near-spiritual practices. Works by classics of Soviet non-conformism and contemporary local and international artists serve here as a commentary that is sometimes biassed and earnest, sometimes detached and ironic. These works explore tools for predicting the future, meditation techniques, and other occult and parascientific systems, as well as their artistic expressions. This approach helps uncover unexpected connections and opens up a space where viewers can develop their own interpretations.

The New New Age is the inheritor of the New Age. Although the term “New Age” entered common usage in the 1970s alongside counterculture, psychedelic rock music, and a fascination with Eastern philosophy, general interest in esotericism had arisen much earlier. At the end of the nineteenth century, the idea of an impending "Age of Aquarius"—an era of universal enlightenment—became popular in occult circles. It was thought that the arrival of this era might be accelerated by developing humanity’s inherent supernatural abilities.

In contrast, the practices of the New New Age are aimed at creating a comfortable life today, at the latest tomorrow. Everyday issues are addressed through esoteric tools, ranging from the use of numerology for career guidance and tarot readings for psychological balance to basing hiring decisions on Zodiac sign compatibility and finding friends according to birth charts. Once fringe activities have become socially acceptable and largely appealing to agnostics, even staunch sceptics.

The ideas of the New New Age align well with the logic of digital platforms. As far as social media algorithms are not always transparent to the average user, appearing at the top of feed or search results may often seem the outcome of something akin to a shamanic ritual. Both reward (for example, promotion by the platform’s recommendation engine) and punishment (such as shadow banning) are equally opaque, so it is only natural that the algorithmic “magic” shapes how esoteric knowledge is structured and shared. To better engage their followers, today’s gurus must become content creators, distilling their teachings into bite-sized, platform-friendly pieces.

Researching the complex and ambivalent tapestry of New New Age phenomena provides an opportunity to discuss scientific and magical thinking and, more broadly, strategies for navigating the world. Artistic practices, just like esoteric ones, can be considered tools of self-discovery and means of understanding of surrounding reality—even if this means relinquishing rationality and succumbing to the charms of new technologies.

All ohotos: Daniel Annenkov

Artists

Agency of Singular Investigations — Ed Atkins — Zoya Belova — Daria Bresler — Vivian Caccuri — Mircea Cantor — Joshua Citarella — Elena Damiani — Dea Džanković — Sasha Gosmant — Alina Gutkina — Rodion Kitaev — Anya Kravchenko — Mikhail Maksimov — Haroon Mirza — Alexandra Sukhareva — Anastasia Tolchneva — Olga Tsvetkova — Anton Vdovichenko — Vladimir Yankilevsky

Curators
Andrey Parshikov, Karen Sarkisov

Architecture
Sasha Kim

Lighting
Ksenia Kosaya

Producers
Sasha Chistova, Alisa Kekelidze

Technical team
Andrei Belov, Alexander Dolmatov, Artem Kanifatov, Pavel Luzhin

Art logistics and registration
Daria Krivtsova, Polina Kuznetsova, Daria Pankevich

Graphic design
Maria Kosareva

Accessibility and inclusion programmes team
Aleksandra Kharchenko, Vlad Kolesnikov, Victoria Kuzmina, Varya Merenkova, Vera Zamyslova

The New New Age exhibition is organised with the participation of
A Gentil Carioca Gallery
Collection of Ekaterina and Vladimir Semenikhin
Collection of V–A–C Foundation
Instituto Paz Collection
Iragui Gallery
Paruyr Davtyan Collection

Media specialist
Katya Kiseleva