Power & Architecture
Calvert 22 is delighted to announce its upcoming seasonal programme opening this summer, Power and Architecture. Taking place from 10 June 鈥 9 October 2016, Power and Architecture will comprise four main interlinked elements:
鈥 A conference and a number of related talks
鈥 An exhibition of new and existing artwork presented in four parts
鈥 A series of architectural workshops connecting London and Prague
鈥 Curated digital content on The Calvert Journal
For the ideological champions of utopian society, architecture is a clear and potent manifestation of a society鈥檚 power, influence and status. From the gothic might of Stalin鈥檚 seven Vysotki to Astana鈥檚 gleaming Bayterek Tower, giant structures loom over the citizens of the former Soviet Union, signifying the grand ambitions of their rulers, past and present. Power and Architecture is a season that will explore the design of the built environment and its use as a device of influence, both physically characterising the skyline, and psychologically in relation to the people who live in its shadow.
Across the post-Soviet world, there is a common thread running through architectural styles. From grand monuments and high-rise cathedrals of geometric correctness to homogenised concrete blocks, repetitious and standardised landmarks to public art, we see the echoes of space designed with the futuristic ideologies of socialism, transitioned into the globalised hegemony of capitalism.
What effect do these architectural structures, designed by one regime and inherited by another, have on the people who live with their legacy? How is public space re-defined through external forces such as privatisation and capitalism, or re-used through independent culture and recreation? Power and Architecture will seek to answer these questions, looking at the evolution of the relationship between cities, public space and their citizens throughout contrasting eras.
鈥 Part 1: Utopia and Modernity
12 June 鈥 3 July 2016
In the opening show, four artists will reflect on the modernist vision of the socialist city and consider the real and imagined futures of utopia.
Polish-born, Berlin-based Przemek Pyszczek鈥檚 series Fa莽ade captures the bright, block-colour decorative Sovietera design of external walls and windows grates. Dmitry Lookianov鈥檚 Instant Tomorrow series provides a vision of the near future through the setting of Muscovite apartment life, where minimalistic furniture and repetitious architecture create a suburban 鈥渦topia鈥.
In his films Hyperborea and Walking the Sea, Anton Ginzburg explores the quest for a perfect, utopian life and its potentially devasta ting impact. Kuba Snopek, Iza Cicho艅ska and Karolina Popera鈥檚 Architecture of the VII Day catalogue draws upon 3,597 churches built by hand in Poland against the will of the state in the second half of the 20th Century and the circumstances of their construction.
Participating artists: Przemek Pyszczek, Dmitry Lookianov, Anton Ginzburg, Kuba Snopek, Iza Cicho艅ska and Karolina Popera.
鈥 Part 2: Dead space and ruins
7 July 鈥 7 August 2016
Three photographers present the decaying architectural reminiscence of the Soviet vision. With work taking inspiration from across the vast landscape of the former Soviet Union, these artists will explore the 鈥渄ead space鈥 left in the wake of the quest for progress.
Eric Lusito maps what remained of the militaristic power of the USSR from eastern Europe to eastern Siberia. His photographic series Traces of the Soviet Empire catalogues the haunting ruins of former bases, monuments and equipment from length and breadth of the empire.
In Restricted Areas, Danila Tkachenko presents us with the 鈥渦topian strive of humans for technological progress鈥漑1]. The artist travelled to sites embodying this quest for advancement, not found on any map or travel guide; these behemoths lie forgotten and decomposing in the frozen tundra.
Turo by Anton Ginzburg investigates post-Soviet geography and icons of constructivist architecture. The four chapters of the film explore different landmarks of Soviet modernism such as the Narkomfin building and ZIL, while proposing alternate futures for these and other settings through virtual, video game-like environments. Vahram Aghasyan reminds us of the many examples of deserted urban areas across the Soviet Empire. Through economic meltdown, natural disaster or industrial catastrophe, Ghost City references the disregarded buildings that used to form towns in parts of the vast Soviet landscape.
Participating artists: Vahram Aghasyan, Anton Ginzburg, Eric Lusito and Danila Tkachenko.
鈥 Part 3: Citizen activated space - Museum of Skateboarding
11 August 鈥 11 September 2016
Part three is a new commission by Calvert 22 Foundation that will explore the individual鈥檚 participation in the activation of public space with Russian artist Kirill Savchenkov鈥檚 installation.
Museum of Skateboarding is a mixed media installation that considers skateboarding not just as a form of exercise, but also as a visceral way to explore and reflect on the post-Soviet residential suburbs of Moscow. The project studies the secret language of the sport, illustrating how certain architectural interventions or objects can be understood through skateboarding.
Participating artist: Kirill Savchenkov
鈥 Part 4: The afterlives of Modernity 鈥 shared values and routines
15 September 鈥 9 October 2016
The season culminates with four artists considering the afterlives of utopian endeavour and the quest for new national identities. Across the former Soviet Union there are a series of architectural and physical nostalgias connecting citizens who share the same socialist history 鈥 part four of the programme reflects on these shared values and routines for citizens today.
Aikaterini Gegesian鈥檚 film My Pink City offers a portrait of a post-Soviet Yeravan adapting to the transition. The film depicts the militarisation of public space and the gendered divisions within the city.
With the Russian-backed war in eastern Ukraine, the country鈥檚 government has responded with laws designed to rid Ukraine鈥檚 public spaces of communist relics. Their destruction proclaims a deep desire to change the cultural narrative. Monumental Propaganda is a series by Donald Weber documenting the sites these monuments stood on and the empty pedestals that remain today.
For Dmytrij Wulffius鈥 series, Traces on Concrete, the artist photographed his hometown of Yalta in Crimea. The series is an exploration of the utopian architectural landscape of the post-Soviet world but from the perspective of modern youth. All images from this series were taken between 2009 and 2013.
Re:centering Periphery: Post Socialist Triplicities by Ogino Knauss documents the post-socialist backgrounds of Berlin, Belgrade and Moscow, exploring what is left of the architectural vision in the cities and what this legacy has left citizens. Three metropolises, three political visions, three historical trajectories. Modernity triggered in each of these cities a blossoming of utopian visions for radical transformation of the everyday.
Participating artists: Aikaterini Gegisian, Donald Weber, Dmytrij Wulffius, Ogino Knauss.
Recommended for you
Calvert 22 is delighted to announce its upcoming seasonal programme opening this summer, Power and Architecture. Taking place from 10 June 鈥 9 October 2016, Power and Architecture will comprise four main interlinked elements:
鈥 A conference and a number of related talks
鈥 An exhibition of new and existing artwork presented in four parts
鈥 A series of architectural workshops connecting London and Prague
鈥 Curated digital content on The Calvert Journal
For the ideological champions of utopian society, architecture is a clear and potent manifestation of a society鈥檚 power, influence and status. From the gothic might of Stalin鈥檚 seven Vysotki to Astana鈥檚 gleaming Bayterek Tower, giant structures loom over the citizens of the former Soviet Union, signifying the grand ambitions of their rulers, past and present. Power and Architecture is a season that will explore the design of the built environment and its use as a device of influence, both physically characterising the skyline, and psychologically in relation to the people who live in its shadow.
Across the post-Soviet world, there is a common thread running through architectural styles. From grand monuments and high-rise cathedrals of geometric correctness to homogenised concrete blocks, repetitious and standardised landmarks to public art, we see the echoes of space designed with the futuristic ideologies of socialism, transitioned into the globalised hegemony of capitalism.
What effect do these architectural structures, designed by one regime and inherited by another, have on the people who live with their legacy? How is public space re-defined through external forces such as privatisation and capitalism, or re-used through independent culture and recreation? Power and Architecture will seek to answer these questions, looking at the evolution of the relationship between cities, public space and their citizens throughout contrasting eras.
鈥 Part 1: Utopia and Modernity
12 June 鈥 3 July 2016
In the opening show, four artists will reflect on the modernist vision of the socialist city and consider the real and imagined futures of utopia.
Polish-born, Berlin-based Przemek Pyszczek鈥檚 series Fa莽ade captures the bright, block-colour decorative Sovietera design of external walls and windows grates. Dmitry Lookianov鈥檚 Instant Tomorrow series provides a vision of the near future through the setting of Muscovite apartment life, where minimalistic furniture and repetitious architecture create a suburban 鈥渦topia鈥.
In his films Hyperborea and Walking the Sea, Anton Ginzburg explores the quest for a perfect, utopian life and its potentially devasta ting impact. Kuba Snopek, Iza Cicho艅ska and Karolina Popera鈥檚 Architecture of the VII Day catalogue draws upon 3,597 churches built by hand in Poland against the will of the state in the second half of the 20th Century and the circumstances of their construction.
Participating artists: Przemek Pyszczek, Dmitry Lookianov, Anton Ginzburg, Kuba Snopek, Iza Cicho艅ska and Karolina Popera.
鈥 Part 2: Dead space and ruins
7 July 鈥 7 August 2016
Three photographers present the decaying architectural reminiscence of the Soviet vision. With work taking inspiration from across the vast landscape of the former Soviet Union, these artists will explore the 鈥渄ead space鈥 left in the wake of the quest for progress.
Eric Lusito maps what remained of the militaristic power of the USSR from eastern Europe to eastern Siberia. His photographic series Traces of the Soviet Empire catalogues the haunting ruins of former bases, monuments and equipment from length and breadth of the empire.
In Restricted Areas, Danila Tkachenko presents us with the 鈥渦topian strive of humans for technological progress鈥漑1]. The artist travelled to sites embodying this quest for advancement, not found on any map or travel guide; these behemoths lie forgotten and decomposing in the frozen tundra.
Turo by Anton Ginzburg investigates post-Soviet geography and icons of constructivist architecture. The four chapters of the film explore different landmarks of Soviet modernism such as the Narkomfin building and ZIL, while proposing alternate futures for these and other settings through virtual, video game-like environments. Vahram Aghasyan reminds us of the many examples of deserted urban areas across the Soviet Empire. Through economic meltdown, natural disaster or industrial catastrophe, Ghost City references the disregarded buildings that used to form towns in parts of the vast Soviet landscape.
Participating artists: Vahram Aghasyan, Anton Ginzburg, Eric Lusito and Danila Tkachenko.
鈥 Part 3: Citizen activated space - Museum of Skateboarding
11 August 鈥 11 September 2016
Part three is a new commission by Calvert 22 Foundation that will explore the individual鈥檚 participation in the activation of public space with Russian artist Kirill Savchenkov鈥檚 installation.
Museum of Skateboarding is a mixed media installation that considers skateboarding not just as a form of exercise, but also as a visceral way to explore and reflect on the post-Soviet residential suburbs of Moscow. The project studies the secret language of the sport, illustrating how certain architectural interventions or objects can be understood through skateboarding.
Participating artist: Kirill Savchenkov
鈥 Part 4: The afterlives of Modernity 鈥 shared values and routines
15 September 鈥 9 October 2016
The season culminates with four artists considering the afterlives of utopian endeavour and the quest for new national identities. Across the former Soviet Union there are a series of architectural and physical nostalgias connecting citizens who share the same socialist history 鈥 part four of the programme reflects on these shared values and routines for citizens today.
Aikaterini Gegesian鈥檚 film My Pink City offers a portrait of a post-Soviet Yeravan adapting to the transition. The film depicts the militarisation of public space and the gendered divisions within the city.
With the Russian-backed war in eastern Ukraine, the country鈥檚 government has responded with laws designed to rid Ukraine鈥檚 public spaces of communist relics. Their destruction proclaims a deep desire to change the cultural narrative. Monumental Propaganda is a series by Donald Weber documenting the sites these monuments stood on and the empty pedestals that remain today.
For Dmytrij Wulffius鈥 series, Traces on Concrete, the artist photographed his hometown of Yalta in Crimea. The series is an exploration of the utopian architectural landscape of the post-Soviet world but from the perspective of modern youth. All images from this series were taken between 2009 and 2013.
Re:centering Periphery: Post Socialist Triplicities by Ogino Knauss documents the post-socialist backgrounds of Berlin, Belgrade and Moscow, exploring what is left of the architectural vision in the cities and what this legacy has left citizens. Three metropolises, three political visions, three historical trajectories. Modernity triggered in each of these cities a blossoming of utopian visions for radical transformation of the everyday.
Participating artists: Aikaterini Gegisian, Donald Weber, Dmytrij Wulffius, Ogino Knauss.
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