Spies and Space: Cold War Artifacts from Both Sides of the Iron Curtain

Tour exhibit at:
The Museum of Russian Art

An exhibition by SuperMonster市City!
and The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA )

This exhibition features toys, games, posters, comic books, and other cultural artifacts on loan from SuperMonster市City! (SMC), developed in collaboration with TMORA using objects from its permanent and research collections. More than two hundred objects on display date to the Cold War era (1950s–1980s) and were produced on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the political divide between the capitalist West and the communist East.

This rich and diverse show unfolds the era when the drama and intrigue of real-world espionage and fascination with outer space began to seep into Western popular culture. On display are unique vintage pieces featuring James Bond and characters from Lost in Space, Star Wars, and Star Trek.

Less obsessed with spies, the Soviet counterpart of American popular culture used the tactic of Inspire and Scare. Soviet space achievements were glorified across magazines, newspapers, greeting cards, postage stamps, and even holiday tree ornaments, while propaganda posters created a scary image of the capitalist West—featuring the war-mongering and greedy Western capitalist and their leader Uncle Sam, a lampoon with a sinister twist, wearing a familiar goatee and top hat.

venue:

Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Avenue
Minneapolis, MN

on the corner of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road