Scientific Study of Art in Ginkhuk: Malevich’s Theory of the Additional Element Between Art and Science

This thesis examines the main features of the scientific study of art in Ginkhuk (State Institute of Artistic Culture, 1924-1926). Ginkhuk, a research center specializing in contemporary art, was headed as director by the leading Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich. Malevich also headed the Formal Theoretical Department, which worked on the development of the theory of the additional element, explaining the evolution of artistic systems and styles and proposing a new methodology for the scientific study of art. This thesis is based on the analysis of Ginkhuk's archival documents and aims to highlight the main conceptual, methodological, and subject-specific features of the scientific study of art in Ginkhuk. The thesis is divided into two parts: the first part is devoted to the analysis of the conceptual characteristics of the scientific method in Ginkhuk, the second one is about the practical application of the developed method. The thesis concludes that in the early Soviet period, the boundaries between science and art were contested and redrawn by key actors both in search of institutional advantages and in order to develop new forms of art knowledge.