The 0,10 Exhibition, officially titled The Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0,10 (pronounced zero-ten), was held in Petrograd from 19 December 1915 to 17 January 1916 at the Dobychina Art Bureau on Marsovo Pole. It marked the birth of Suprematism, a radical new form of non-objective art founded by Kazimir Malevich, and signaled the end of Russia’s Cubo-Futurism movement. The exhibition introduced viewers to a striking visual vocabulary based on geometric abstraction, dynamic motion, and bold color contrasts.
Origin of the Name
The enigmatic name 0,10 carried symbolic meaning. The “Zero” suggested a new beginning after the destruction of the old artistic order, while “Ten” referred to the number of artists initially expected to participate. Ultimately, fourteen artists displayed their works. The subtitle Last Exhibition of Futurist Paintings was coined by Ivan Puni, the main organizer, to highlight the exhibition’s transitional nature between Futurism and Suprematism.
Background and Development
Earlier that same year, Puni organized “Tramway V”, the first all-Futurist exhibition in Russia. Although controversial, it generated widespread attention and inspired him to stage a final, more ambitious display—the 0,10 Exhibition. Meanwhile, Malevich was developing his theory of Suprematism, focusing on the supremacy of pure artistic feeling through abstract geometric forms.
Event and Key Works
When the 0,10 Exhibition opened in December 1915, Malevich unveiled thirty-nine Suprematist paintings, officially declaring the movement’s arrival. The exhibition showcased 155 works in total, including Tatlin’s Corner Counter Reliefs and Olga Rozanova’s Metronome.
A major highlight was Malevich’s Black Square (1915), which was controversially hung in the icon corner—a sacred space in Russian homes—symbolizing the replacement of religious imagery with pure abstraction. The tension between Malevich and Vladimir Tatlin divided participants into rival camps, reflecting deeper ideological splits in the Russian avant-garde.
Impact and Legacy
Despite limited surviving documentation—only a single known photograph of Malevich’s display remains—the 0,10 Exhibition became a turning point in modern art. It established Suprematism as a defining movement of the early 20th-century avant-garde and influenced subsequent styles such as Constructivism, which Tatlin later championed through his famous Tatlin’s Tower design. Publications like From Cubism to Suprematism and the official exhibition catalogue further cemented its intellectual and aesthetic significance.
Participating Artists
The following artists exhibited at the 0,10 Exhibition:
Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Ivan Puni, Liubov Popova, Ivan Kliun, Ksenia Boguslavskaya, Olga Rozanova, Nadezhda Udaltsova, Nathan Altman, Vasily Kamensky, Vera Pestel, Maria Vasilieva, Anna Kirillova, and Mikhail Menkov.
