Igor Ponosov (b. 1980)
Curator and researcher specializing in urban art. Author of multiple books and monographs published in Russian and English. Served as co-author and chief editor for publications with Possible Books, MitOst Foundation, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, and the Street Art Museum. Member of la Fédération de l’Art Urbain in Paris. Multidisciplinary artist and lecturer currently based in Strasbourg.

Author of numerous publications and books, includes monographs: From Walls to Stages: A Chronicle of Moscow Urban Art. 1991–2020 (2025), Art and the city (2016/2021), Russian Urban Art: History and Conflicts (2018) and As the Dance ends (2022). Here is the full list of publications. 

Contacts
iponosov@gmail.com
Instagram: @igor_ponosov
Telegram: @iponosov
Profile on the Russian Art Archive Network (RAAN)

Art works/Editions available to purchase
COLAB Gallery, Weil-am-Rhein, Germany.
LL’Editions, Gothenburg, Sweden. 
Syntax Gallery, Moscow.

Solo shows

• 2022 — Imagined Journey. Syntax Gallery, Moscow.
• 2021 — Cutting the Walls. Ural branch of Pushkin Museum, Yekaterinburg.
  2021 — Participant Observation. Syntax Gallery, CUBE art space, Moscow.
• 2020 — Cutting the Walls. CCI Fabrika, Moscow.
• 2018 — Is It Dangerous To Take A Shower During A Thunderstorm? Coat gallery, Miami.
• 2017 — GARAGE L6 #17. GARAGE L6, Freiburg.
• 2016 — The Thaw. In collaboration with Brad Downey. CCI Fabrika, Moscow.

Selected group shows and festivals

• 2025 — KiöR Gutleutmatten Public art Project. Commissioned by Kulturamt, Freiburg-im-Breisgau. 
• 2025 — COLAB shop corner in frame of the Typography Collective group show. An exclusive printed editions published by COLAB gallery, Weil am Rhein.   
• 2025 — Self-Portraits. 10.203, Saint Petersburg. 
• 2025 — Private sector.
  Street art Storage, Saint Petersburg. 
• 2025 — 5 Angles. Ruarts foundation, Moscow.
• 2024 — Grenzen/Borders. Curated by Patrick Luetzelschwab. In frame of Regionale 25, Städtische Galerie Stapflehus, Weil am Rhein.
• 2024 — Allotopie 6. Curated by Mathieu Tremblin, Antonio Gallego. En cours art space, Paris.
• 2024 — DE: CONSTRUCT. Migration and Integration. Green hill gallery, Berlin. 
• 2024 — Tidings. Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg. 
• 2024 — Forms of Time. Elohovskiy gallery, Moscow.
• 2024 — a-s-t-r-a open vol. 4. a-s-t-r-a gallery, Moscow.
• 2023 — Space is the Case. Curated by Thomas Judisch. GEH8 Kunstraum, Dresden.
• 2023 — The Archipelago of Dreams. Smena art center,  Kazan. Sinara gallery, Yekaterinburg.
• 2023 — Collector’s room. Cube art space, Moscow.
• 2023 — Out of place. New landscapes. CCI Fabrika, Moscow.
• 2022 — New from Old.
  Krasnokholmskaya Gallery, Moscow.
• 2021 — 2МАП.
  Exhibition space at Zaryadie park, Moscow.
• 2020 — rePlastic. Electromuseum, Moscow.
• 2019 — Post-Posters. Curated by Mathieu Tremblin, Antonio Gallego. Syndicat Potentiel, Strasbourg.
• 2019 — The Absurd. Candid Arts Trust space, London.
• 2018 — Bien Urbain Festival. Curated by Brad Downey. Besançon.
• 2018 — Habitat Happy. Curated by Annika Hirsekorn. Neurotitan Gallery, Berlin.
• 2018 — Partizaning: Participatory Urban Replanning. Nosna Gallery, Krakow.
• 2018 — Meine Strasse? Моя Улица? Curated by Alexandra Yurieva-Civjane, Alexandra Goloborodko. August Bebel Institut, Berlin.
• 2017 — Nuart Festival. Curated by Martyn Reed. Stavanger.
• 2017 — Russische Kulturtage Festival. Curated by Margarita Augustin. Freiburg.
• 2017 — Cultural Hijack. Curated by Epos257, Ben Parry. International School of Architecture ARCHIP, Prague.
• 2017 — Hand luggage only. Curated by Martyn Reed. Nuart Gallery, Stavanger.
• 2016 — XXI Triennale di Milano International. Exposition EXPERIENCE (Ex Expo Area), Milano.
• 2016 — Crossing Borders / Crossing Boundaries. Curated by Rafael Schacter. Street Art Museum, Saint Petersburg.
• 2016 — Life o’ Banner. Cracow Gallery Weekend KRAKERS, Krakow.
• 2015 — Russland vs. Russland Kulturkonflikte. Curated by Alexandra Yurieva-Civjane, Alexandra Goloborodko. Studio 1 Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin.
• 2015 — 2nd International Award for Public Art. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, Auckland.
• 2014 — global aCtIVISm. Curated by Peter Weibel. ZKM, Karlsruhe.
• 2014 — 11. Garage Museum, Moscow.
• 2013 — The 10th Sao Paulo Architecture Biennale. SESC, Sao-Paolo.
• 2013 — Art-Ovrag Festival. Vyksa.
• 2013 — Barents Spectacle. Kirkenes.
• 2013 — Cooperation territory.
  16th LINE Gallery, Rostov-on-Don.
• 2012 — Sobyanin, baby, c’mon!
  Vostochnaya Gallery, Moscow.
• 2012 — The Wall. Winzavod, Moscow.
• 2008 — Art about Mortality. M-Gallery, Rostov-on-Don.

Curation

• 2025 — City. Environment. Code.
  Oktava art space, Tula. 
• 2022 — Here and now. Public art Project, commisioned with Culture department of Moscow.
• 2021 — Public Library. Ruarts Contemporary art Foundation, Moscow.
• 2020 — Russian Urban art archive. Museum of Contemporary art Garage, Moscow.
• 2017, 2018 — Graffiti in the Internet age.
  Electromuseum, Moscow.
  Street art Museum, St. Petersburg.
• 2017 — New Urban Reality.
  CLB Gallery, Berlin.
• 2015 — ЦЕХ. Culture center Smena, Kazan.
• 2015 — Urban Exploration. Moscow Urban Forum, main exhibition hall Manege, Moscow.
• 2013–2015 — Delai Sam. Zil Culture center, Flacon design factory, Moscow.
• 2010–2013 — The Wall. Art center Winzavod, Moscow.
• 2008 — Russian Street Art is Dead.
  M’ARS Gallery, Moscow.

Art Residencies

• 2024 — Atelier Mondial. Basel.
• 2024 — Residency at Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde. Campus France, French Institute, Bagneux, France.
• 2024 — ZK/U Residency.
  Zentrum fur Kunst und Urbanistik. Berlin
• 2023 — Art residency in the 9B Gallery. Nizhny 800, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
• 2019 — Fabrika studios. Session VI.
  CCI Fabrika, Moscow.
• 2017 — Gastatelier im Kunsthaus L6. Das Kulturamt der Stadt Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
• 2016 — Living Alive. NCCA Arsenal, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
• 2014 — Arts Leadership Fellows.
  CEC ArtsLink, New York.
• 2014 — Discover Eliava. GeoAIR Art Residency, Tbilisi, Georgia. 

Awards & Grants

• 2025 — Zverev Art Prize (short list), an award in Russian Contemporary art critic. Moscow. 
• 2023 — GARAGE.txt (laureate), a program in support Researchers of Russian Contemporary art. Museum of Contemporary art Garage, Moscow.
• 2023 — Zhar-kniga (long list), an award in Book design. Moscow.
• 2021 — 2th Moscow Art Prize (short list), an award in Contemporary art of Moscow.
• 2019 — 12th Kandinsky prize (short list), an award in Russian Contemporary art, nomination: Scientific work on history and theory of contemporary art. BREUS Foundation, MMOMA, Moscow.
• 2016 — 8th Sergey Kuryokhin prize (laureate), an award in Contemporary art, nomination: The Best text in contemporary art. Sergey Kuryokhin art center, St. Petersburg.
• 2014 — Coal Prize (short list), an award in Contemporary art focused on ecological issues. Paris.
• 2012–2013 — The program in support young Russian artists (laureate). Museum of Contemporary art Garage, Moscow.

My Books

• 2025 — From Walls to Stages: A Chronicle of Moscow Urban Art, 1991–2020, monograph in Russian. Published by GARAGE Museum, Moscow.  
• 2025 — Sergey Sapozhnikov. |||¦||||. Metro. Sap, self-published bilingual monograph with small amount. Moscow. 
• 2023 — As the Dance ends, self-published bilingual monograph with small amount. Moscow. 
• 2022 — Interlacing of Dreams, self-published artist book with small amount. Moscow. 
• 2021 — Art and the City, second edition, self-published monograph in Russian. Moscow. 
• 2020 — Cutting the Walls, self-published bilingual catalogue with small amount. Moscow. 
• 2019 — Encyclopedia of Russian Urban Art (co-author, editor). Russian edition, published by Artmossphere, Moscow.
• 2018 — Russian Urban Art: History and Conflicts, self-published monograph in English. Moscow. 
• 2018 — Delai Sam: grass-roots and activism from ex-USSR (co-author, chief editor). Russian edition, Moscow. 
• 2018 — Street Art Museum: A permanent collection №1. 2013–2018 (co-author, chief editor). Bilingual edition, published by Street Art Musem, St. Petersburg. 
• 2017 — RECLAIM, RECODE, REINVENT: Urban Art and Activism in Eastern Europe (co-author, chief editor). English edition, published by MitOst Stiftung, Berlin.
• 2016 — Art and the city, self-published monograph in Russian. Moscow. 
• 2015 — Switchie/Switchie (co-author), bilingual artist book with small amount. Published by Possible Books, Berlin.
• 2005–2008 — Objects № 1–3 (co-author, chief editor, publisher), self-published bilingual street art magazine. 

My books in Libraries sorted by countries

• Russia: The Russian State Library (RSL), The National Library of Russia, Garage Museum, MMOMA, Ruarts Foundation.
• USA: University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Cornell University Library, Duke University Libraries, Perkins Library, University of Washington Libraries, UC Berkeley Libraries, Stanford University Libraries, Harvard University, Fine Arts Library, Yale University Library, Getty Research Institute, Princeton University Library, New York University, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, New York Public Library System, Columbia University in the City of New York, Library of Congress, University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago Library, Indiana University.
• UK: University College London, The British Library, St. Pancras. 
• Germany: Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte, Bibliothek in München, Bibliothek der Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Bibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Bibliothek der Fachhochschule Potsdam, Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg, Freiburg/Breisgau.
• France: Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Strasbourg.
• Australia: Monash University Library.

Selected links

• Igor Ponosov (RUS): Artist, curator, researcher, author and publisher focused on Urban Art since 20 years. UrbanPresents, 2024.
• Igor Ponosov. Imagined Journey. Youtube, 2023.
• Cozy corner – Igor Ponosov. Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (ZK/U), 2023. 
• Igor Ponosov. Artist edition. LL`Editions, 2022. 
• Russian Urban Art: Poetry, Philosophy, and Manifestos in the Streets. Brooklyn Street Art, 2021.
• Street art archive. The Russian Art Archive Network (RAAN), 2020. 
• Igor Ponosov enlightens with ‘Russian Urban Art: History and Conflicts‘. Brooklyn Street Art, 2018.
• Interviews: Igor Ponosov. Arrested Motion, 2017.
• Nuart festival 2017 – Igor Ponosov. Youtube, 2017. 

Selected Printed publications (Eng/De/Fr)

• Post Vandalism by Stephen Burke, Dublin, 2025. 
• Mirabilia – Volumen 1, Bucle Editorial, Buenos Aires, 2025.
• The Posttraumatic vol. X/VII/III, Barcelona, 2025/2024/2022.
• Graffiti und Politik, Friederike Häuser (Ed.), Robert Kaltenhäuser (Ed.), Beltz Juventa, Germany, 2023. 
• Kandinsky Prize. Exhibition of the Nominees, BREUS Foundation, Moscow, 2019.
• Coordinate system, CLB Gallery/Butterbrot, Berlin, 2017.
• BAUMEISTER #B6-2017, Munich, 2017.
• The new European 14–20 September, 2017.
• Journal Uni Versum 05 2017, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2017. 
• Kuryokhin award 2016, Kuryokhin art center, Saint Petersburg, 2016.    
• Crossing Borders / Crossing Boundaries, Rafael Schacter (Ed.), Street Art Museum, Saint Petersburg, 2016. 
• Global Activism: Art and Conflict in the 21st Century, Peter Weibel (Ed.), The MIT Press, Karlsruhe, 2015. 
• Russland vs. Russland. Kulturkonflikte, Berlin, 2015.
• Partizaning №1–7, Moscow, 2011–2015. 
• PRIXCOAL2014, COAL, Paris, 2014. 
• Stadt Aspekte / July 2013, Berlin.
• KUNSTFORUM: Urban Performance, Berlin, 2013.

—
Portrait by Roman Konovalov.
Syntax gallery, Moscow, 2022.