UNOVIS

UNOVIS (also known as MOLPOSNOVIS and POSNOVIS) was a short-lived but influential group of artists, founded and led by Kazimir Malevich at the Vitebsk Art School in 1919.

Initially formed by students and known as MOLPOSNOVIS, the group formed to explore and develop new theories and concepts in art. Under the leadership of Malevich they renamed to UNOVIS, chiefly focusing on his ideas on Suprematism and producing a number of projects and publications whose influence on the avant-garde in Russia and abroad was immediate and far-reaching.^[1] The group disbanded in 1922.

The name UNOVIS is an abbreviation in Russian of "Utverditeli Novogo Iskusstva" (in Russian: Утвердители НОВого ИСкусства) or "The Champions of the New Art", while POSNOVIS was an abbreviation of "Posledovateli Novogo Iskusstva" (in Russian: ПОСледователи НОВого ИСкусства) or "Followers of the New Art", and MOLPOSNOVIS meant "Young Followers of the New Art" (in Russian: МОЛодые ПОСледователи НОВого ИСкусства).