Vladimir Radunsky

Vladimir Radunsky (b. 1954 - d. 2019) selected the largest can in which olive oil is sold, out of homage to the proportions of the five-liter can, and perhaps to its proletarian associations. The Russian emigré and world citizen, whose last years were spent in Rome, then covered all four sides of the can in strong Cyrillic-looking English script, a characteristically bold display of text as image, as wielded so masterfully by Radunsky. Edition conceived in 2012. 

Cornelia met Vladimir Radunsky in Rome, but it was their shared love of New York City, and a kind of emigré status, that provided ballast at the start. The precision of his working method, and the way Vladimir created books out of ludic vignettes was of endless fascination to Cornelia, who introduced his work to Anna Stoppa, one of her Master’s students at the IUAV, who subsequently wrote a thesis on Radunsky. Together with other students, Cornelia organized an exhibition of Radunsky’s book covers at John Cabot University -- the installation hosted by Librarian Elisabetta Morani is still on display in the Frohring Library. Radunsky’s exhibitions and projects culminated in his extraordinary work for the Teatro dell’Opera under the direction of Alessio Vlad. Here, Radunsky designed sets and costumes for the ballet, Don Quixote. It was one of the last times that Cornelia met the artist, who was not only a great creator, but also a great friend. Radunsky is survived by his wife Eugenia, director of the archive and estate, and two daughters.