Ilya Orlov is an artist and art theorist born in 1973 in Leningrad, and permanently living in Finland since 2015.
Orlov’s key interests are the clashes between art-, cultural-, and political discourses; the language of art institutions, and its relationship with the art itself; and critical revision of the artistic cultures of Modernism, Postmodernism and Conceptual art. Orlov works in varied artistic media, including installation, drawing, painting, sculpture, and text.
Orlov’s works have been shown as part of Manifesta 10 (2014), commissioned by the international biennial. In 2018, OrlovI was shortlisted for the Finnish Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale. In 2023, Orlov presented his large solo show in Helsinki at the entire space of Forum Box gallery. Orlov’s recent international collaborations include exhibitions in New Zealand (Gus Fisher gallery, Auckland, 2024) and Germany (Kunstverein zu Rostock, 2024, 2025).
In June 2025, Orlov defended his doctoral dissertation at the Academy of Fine Arts Helsinki, and published the monograph Aesthetics, De-Aestheticisation, Abstraction: Reflections on the Philosophy of Art After the Avant-Garde and Conceptualism.
Orlov is the founder and co-editor of the independent international anti-war art journal Shy Plumber published in Finland.
Orlov’s artistic and academic work has been supported by Kunstverein zu Rostock, the Oskar Öflund Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Frame Contemporary Art Finland, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Helsinki International Art Programme (HIAP), Uniarts Helsinki, and the Nordea Art Foundation Finland.
Exhibitions (Selected)
Ei numeroa - Finland-New Zealand doctoral art researchers group show. Tekniikan museo, Helsinki, Finland. April 2025.
Kunstverein zu Rostock Stipendiatenausstellung. Schleswig-Holstein Haus Rostock, Germany. February 2025.
Honest Deception: Tedi Holm (in collaboration with Steffen Dürre). Kunstverein zu Rostock, Schleswig-Holstein Haus Rostock, Germany. 2024.
Eight Thousand Layers of Moments. Gus Fisher gallery, Auckland, New Zealand. 2024.
Claws and Connections – All the World’s Senses - KuvA doctoral researchers' group show. Kuva/Tila. Helsinki, Finland. 2024.
God out of a Washing Machine / Jumala pesukoneesta. Forum Box, Helsinki, Finland. 2023.
Quantum Critic 2021. Myymälä2 pop up gallery, Helsinki, Finland. 2021.
Functional Art. HIAP Open Studios Week, Helsinki, Finland. 2020.
Shy Plumber Journal Exhibition # 1. Alkovi gallery, Helsinki, Finland. 2020.
Conflict of the Faculties. Theatre Academy, Helsinki, Finland. 2019.
A Piece of Art. Love&Money Gallery, Helsinki, Finland. 2019
Monument to a Scientific Error. Kallio Library. Helsinki, Finland. 2018.
The Very Last Futurist Exhibition. Merz Sammonkatu. Tampere, Finland. 2018.
The Story of How Nicholas II and Magician Papus Secretly Conducted a Spiritist Seance Aimed to Prevent the Revolution, and Failed. Hiekan Taidemuseo. Tampere, Finland. 2017. (curated by Ilya Orlov)
Rab-Rab Journal Committee show at Tüyap Ütopya. Istanbul, Turkey. 2017.
Museum of the Museum. CheckPoint Helsinki. Helsinki, Finland. 2017.
Red Rijeka Assembly. SIZ Gallery in Kortil Gallery, Rijeka, Croatia. 2017.
1917: Weighed, Up-Measured, Divided. Alkovi gallery, Helsinki, Finland. 2017.
Finnish Landscape. Seurasaari Open-Air Museum. Helsinki, Finland. 2016
A Revolutionary Museum After Ideology. MANIFESTA 10. 2014.
Education
- The Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts, Helsinki. Doctoral researcher. 2015 – present.
- St. Petersburg State University / Bard College, New York. Master of Arts and Humanities. 2013.
- St. Petersburg State University / Bard College, New York. Bachelor of Arts and Humanities. 2007.