Until 2022, Vladimir Shalamov worked for an independent media outlet, hosted a television program about fashion, and owned a clothing store in central Moscow. Soon after the start of the full-scale war, he and his wife left Russia and later reached Germany on humanitarian journalist visas.
Shalamov had been closely connected to the art community back in Moscow. In exile, he decided to organize an anti-war exhibition. According to him, the first show was held during Berlin Art Week in the autumn of 2023 and was titled (Anti)propaganda.
“I simply wrote to ten artists I knew: would you like to make an exhibition of anti-war art? To my surprise, there were no refusals at all,” Shalamov said.
The exhibition featured Philippenzo, Slava Ptrk, Pavel Otdelnov, Kungfuct, and others. Shalamov said that at the time the organizers were not yet thinking about opening their own gallery, but after the exhibition proved highly successful, they almost immediately began receiving invitations to join other group projects.
As a result, the gallery All Rights Reversed was founded in Berlin. Alongside Shalamov and his wife, the project involves artists and art-world professionals, including people who remain in Russia.
In February 2024, the gallery held its first major exhibition in Amsterdam, After Shock. Thousands of people visited it. Its success largely helped make possible both Artists Against the Kremlin exhibitions at Amsterdam’s De Balie gallery.
Between large international shows, All Rights Reversed also stages smaller exhibitions. These are presented mainly in the gallery’s Berlin space, but also in other cities, from Lisbon to Tokyo. The formats vary and include exhibitions of women’s protest art as well as shows of works by imprisoned artists.