THE PATH OF FORM

Private Viewing: Thursday 10 September, 6 – 9 pm
Exhibition Dates: 11 – 25 September 2026
Opening Hours: 12 pm – 19 pm, Tuesday – Sunday 

Location: Arc Space, 13 Tottenham Mews, W1T4AQ, London

London, UK, 10th September 2026 – Arc Space, in collaboration with Prokofiev Studio, is pleased to present The Path of Form, a solo exhibition by Oleg Prokofiev, curated by Anzhela Popova, on view at Arc Space, London, from 11 to 25 September 2026. This exhibition brings together a rare group of previously unseen graphic works by Oleg Prokofiev with an equally significant archival document: From construction to installation**** by the German art historian Gottlieb Leinz.

Curatorial Essay

Every rediscovery has the power to rewrite history.

This exhibition brings together a rare group of previously unseen graphic works by Oleg Prokofiev with an equally significant archival document: English translation of an essay by the German art historian Gottlieb Leinz, prepared by Günter Reichwein in January 1993. Read together, the works and the manuscript reveal an artist whose practice extended far beyond drawing, painting or sculpture. They present Prokofiev as a thinker of space.

For Prokofiev, the graphic image was never merely preparatory. Every line, every rhythm and every structure contained the possibility of becoming an object, an environment or an installation. The page was the place where space first emerged.

Leinz describes this transformation as a movement “from construction to installation.” His text traces Prokofiev’s evolution from the disciplined language of Constructivism toward increasingly open, dynamic and spatial compositions. Geometry gradually gives way to movement; structure becomes rhythm; the object expands into an environment.

The rediscovered graphics presented here occupy a pivotal position within this process. They reveal an artist investigating the relationship between line and volume, colour and architecture, balance and motion. Rather than illustrating ideas, these works generate them. They are autonomous visual propositions through which sculpture begins to think.

Throughout his career, Prokofiev remained fascinated by systems of growth. Forms interlock like chains, branch like organic structures and unfold according to an internal rhythm that recalls both musical composition and natural development. This understanding of form connects his work to broader currents in twentieth-century art while preserving a singular artistic voice.

As Leinz observed, Prokofiev eventually abandoned the strict austerity of Constructivism in favour of a richer and more fluid visual language. Reliefs opened into space. Wooden structures became architectural propositions. Individual elements interacted like notes within a musical score, creating compositions that could only be fully understood through movement and changing viewpoints.

The exhibition follows this transformation. Beginning with intimate works on paper, it progresses through increasingly complex constructions until drawing itself appears to dissolve into space. Visitors encounter not simply an artistic chronology but an unfolding spatial experience in which graphics, reliefs and installations form successive stages of the same creative investigation.

At the heart of the exhibition stands the rediscovered manuscript. Rather than serving as historical documentation, it becomes an active participant in the exhibition. Written more than thirty years ago, it provides a remarkable contemporary interpretation of Prokofiev’s mature work while anticipating many of the questions that continue to shape discussions of sculpture today: How can form occupy space without enclosing it? How does movement emerge from stillness? How can construction become experience?

The exhibition proposes that Oleg Prokofiev should be understood not only as a sculptor or graphic artist, but as a composer of space. His works invite viewers to move, to observe relationships rather than isolated objects, and to experience rhythm as a physical phenomenon.

These rediscovered graphics do more than expand the known body of Prokofiev’s work. They offer new insight into an artistic vision in which drawing, sculpture and installation are inseparable. Together with the archival text, they illuminate a practice that continually sought to transform the language of Constructivism into something more open, more lyrical and profoundly human.

The Path of Form is therefore both an exhibition and an act of rediscovery – an invitation to reconsider Oleg Prokofiev’s place in art and to encounter a body of work that continues to resonate through its remarkable dialogue between form, rhythm and space.

ABOUT ARC SPACE LONDON

Arc Space is a cultural hub in London where people, ideas and creative communities come together. A space for connection across different backgrounds, industries and experiences – bringing together those working in the creative world and those simply curious to be part of it, Russian-speaking and non-Russian-speaking communities alike. From exhibitions and events to conversations and informal gatherings, Arc offers a place to discover something new, meet different people and experience culture in an open, welcoming environment. At its heart, Arc Space is about making room – for creativity, for conversation, for new connections and for people who might not otherwise meet.

ABOUT PROKOFIEV STUDIO

Prokofiev Studio is a creative space in the heart of Hackney, dedicated to preserving and reimagining the artistic legacy of the Prokofiev family. Rooted in a remarkable archive while embracing contemporary practice, the studio serves as a place for visual art, music, performance and interdisciplinary dialogue.

At its core is an important collection of works by artist Oleg Prokofiev, whose paintings, sculptures, and works on paper form the foundation of the studio’s programme. Alongside this visual heritage exists an active musical environment shaped by composer Gabriel Prokofiev, whose work continues the family’s tradition of artistic innovation.

ABOUT CURATOR ANZHELA POPOVA

Anzhela Popova is a London-based curator and art historian. She graduated from the Russian State University for the Humanities with a degree in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Art and has developed her professional practice around contemporary art, exhibition-making and cultural research.

Through her curatorial work, Anzhela Popova focuses on creating meaningful dialogues between artists, historical contexts and audiences. She has curated more than 20 exhibitions, working with both emerging and established artists and has developed projects across different formats, from independent projects to gallery exhibitions. Her practice explores the relationships between artistic research, archival materials and new approaches to exhibition narratives. Anzhela Popova continues to support innovative artistic practices while fostering connections between artists, collectors and cultural communities.