UNOVIS Facts for Kids

The UNOVIS seal, inspired by Kazimir Malevich's famous Black Square painting.

UNOVIS was a group of artists who made a big impact on art, even though they only existed for a short time. Kazimir Malevich, a famous artist, started the group in 1919 at the Vitebsk Art School.

The group's full name in Russian was "Utverditeli Novogo Iskusstva," which means "The Champions of the New Art." Before they were called UNOVIS, they had other names like MOLPOSNOVIS ("Young Followers of the New Art") and POSNOVIS ("Followers of the New Art").

UNOVIS focused on Malevich's ideas about Suprematism, a style of art that used simple shapes and colors. They created many projects and books that greatly influenced art in Russia and other countries. The group stopped working together in 1922.

How UNOVIS Started and Grew
Expanding Their Art and Influence
End of the Group and Lasting Impact
Notable Members
See also

How UNOVIS Started and Grew

A photo of UNOVIS members in 1920, with Malevich in the middle.

The UNOVIS group changed a lot during its short history. It began as MOLPOSNOVIS, made up mostly of students. Soon, some of the art school's teachers joined, and the group became known as POSNOVIS.

They were very busy, working on many different art projects and experiments. These included various types of media available at the time. In January 1920, Malevich came to teach at the Vitebsk Art School. He was quickly put in charge of a teaching studio.

In February 1920, under Malevich's guidance, the group created a "Suprematist ballet." This was a dance performance based on Suprematist art. After this, POSNOVIS changed its name again to UNOVIS on February 14, 1920.

Expanding Their Art and Influence

In early 1920, Malevich became the director of the Vitebsk Art School. He made big changes to UNOVIS and the entire school's art program. He organized UNOVIS into a strong group with a special council.

The group's art ideas and styles grew quickly with Malevich and his talented students. Famous artists like El Lissitzky, Lazar Khidekel, and Vera Ermolaeva were part of UNOVIS. Their main goal was to bring Suprematist designs and ideas to Russian society. They wanted to work with the Soviet government to:

Design new buildings and useful items.
Create new patterns for fabrics and other products.
Design decorations for towns during holidays.
Decorate homes inside and out.
Make modern furniture and everyday objects.
Create new types of books and printed materials.

UNOVIS members in Vitebsk, June 1922.

The group put their plans into action by decorating much of Vitebsk with Suprematist art and messages. Malevich wanted them to create even bigger, more lasting artworks, especially buildings. El Lissitzky, who led the architecture part of the group, worked with students like Lazar Khidekel and Ilia Chashnik. They drew unusual plans for floating buildings and huge structures of steel and glass. They also designed practical things like housing and a speaker's stand for the town square.

UNOVIS believed in the Communist idea of sharing everything. So, they decided to share credit for all their artworks. Instead of individual names, they signed all their works with a simple black square. This black square became the official seal of UNOVIS. It was a special tribute to one of Malevich's own famous paintings.

In June 1920, UNOVIS's goals became even bigger. They published a collection of their ideas and designs, and they took part in a big art conference in Moscow. UNOVIS students traveled from Vitebsk to Moscow. They handed out artworks, newsletters, and copies of Malevich's writings. UNOVIS became well-known and respected as an important art movement.

End of the Group and Lasting Impact

Even though UNOVIS became famous after the conference, their popularity didn't last long. By 1922, the main group started to break apart. Many of the artists who were part of UNOVIS moved on to other schools, cities, and art movements.

Even after the group officially ended, books and other publications still appeared with the UNOVIS black square seal for several years. Their influence on art continued for many generations, showing how important their ideas were.