We created a traveling exhibit for the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center dedicated to the extraordinary worlds created by Vladimir Vysotsky, one of Russia’s most prominent poets and musicians of the 20th century.

Conceived and curated by Yan Vizinberg, “Seven Worlds of Vysotsky” combines meticulously reconstructed spaces, interactive multimedia, and over two thousand artifacts from the period, including Vysotsky’s guitar and manuscripts. Accompanied by his songs, this allows visitors to dive into a world from the poet’s works. The exhibit uses smell, sound, touch, sight and even taste to elevate the immersive experience to new heights.

“Clever, authentic and effective.”

– SEGD

The seven carefully recreated environments represent a distinctive theme in Vysotsky’s poetry and reflect the corresponding decade in the history of the Soviet Union. Rooms recreated as communal kitchens, mental hospitals, and beer kiosks, allow visitors to step through time.

Faces were replaced with artifacts, with each artifact representing a human trait or personality relevant to the story.

The sense of smell, being closely tied to our memories, was used to immerse the visitors into each of the seven environments. The food was replaced on a weekly basis and filled the room with the rich aromas of bread, fruit and cheese, transporting visitors back in time.

Vysotsky’s musical catalog is ever present throughout the exhibit. Visitors were given a special laser scanner connected to headphones which allowed them to queue themed music for each room.

“An immersive exhibition in which there is an incredible amount to discover.”

– GERMAN DESIGN AWARDS