In January it became known that "Archpolis" is curtailing its activities due to the loss of a source of funding and the projects of Nikola-Lenivets will continue their work independently, without a title sponsor. We asked several questions to the permanent organizers of the Archstoyanie festival, Yulia Bychkova and Anton Kochurkin.
I really sympathize with the loss of a sponsor, and I wish the projects of Nikola-Lenivets to find financial support as soon as possible; I think I will not be mistaken if I say that now all architectural and artistic Moscow is rooting for you
In a recent press release, it was said about the revision of the scale of the cultural program and the suspension of the development of the guest infrastructure. What does this mean specifically? What parts of Nikola-Lenivets projects relied on the support of Archpolis and will now be reduced?
Anton Kochurkin: Art events, including the Archstoyanie festival, were half funded by the investor (except for the last year), so Archstoyanie will continue in one format or another, but infrastructure development is now frozen. First of all, infrastructure projects and operating expenses were based on the money of "Archpolis": a creative village, Mehdvor, a camping, a restaurant, a farm, a team. The existing infrastructure will function, but so far without additional services. We are looking for investors for an already developed, but not implemented hotel project.
The volume of investments for the maintenance of the territory will decrease - regular landscaping, forest maintenance, park works. Some of the projects, such as a farm and a children's camp, which have become self-sufficient, will continue to function. We also do not give up on creative residences in Nikola-Lenivets.
If possible, please tell us a little more about these sustainable projects. What is being done on the farm, with what regularity is the children's camp open? And how, for example, does the youth hotel "Kazarma" function?
Our farm is created by a wonderful couple Anna and Sergey Morozov. At the moment it is about 15 hectares of cultivated land. So far, we only grow crops and feed ourselves and the residents, and also sell to foreign markets what is in demand. This summer the guys made a wonderful Salad Bar right in the middle of the farm's plot and it was constantly full. The tourist format of "tasteful history" is always in demand and popular.
The camp starts at the end of May and ends in August. Only 5 shifts with 100 children in each. And each shift is thematic: English, Multimedia, Photo or Architecture and Art. Despite the fact that we offer children to live in tents, this does not scare away, but even encourages parents to give us their children for survival and tempering in a creative environment.
The barracks is a youth format of the hotel and we try to lease it completely for one company, which is what we get. There is a beautiful view of the "Beaubourg" and an excellent bathhouse.
As far as I remember, "Archpolis" was directly or indirectly connected with the project of building a new village somewhere in the vicinity of Nikola-Lenivets and with a larger-scale reorganization of the territory than the festival. How did the Archstoyanie festival intersect with these projects, to what extent have they been implemented and what will happen to them now?
Julia Bychkova: At the moment, the entire general plan of the territory and the main development objects have been developed: a hotel with public functions was designed by Eugene Ass, a farm complex - by Alexander Brodsky. Together with the Snøhetta bureau, we made a project for a community center.
The cottage community project was developed with the participation of Vasily Shchetinin, Anton Kochurkin, Ivan Ovchinnikov - this project was planned to be launched in September 2014 as an instrument of the main sustainable income for the territory, but alas.
Are you currently looking for investors for a hotel designed by Evgeny Ass?
Y. B.: Evgeny Viktorovich designed a hotel and educational center for us on the site of the old cowsheds in Zvizzhi. This is a wonderful and experimental project. But with the development of Mehdvor and art workshops opposite in the same village, it became obvious that the set of functions of this project must be rethought, as well as the economic model.
It is now important for us to launch such projects as an all-season camping (authors of 8 lines + Mel + Megabudka), as well as a project of a new format of a creative village (authors I. Ovchinnikov + 8 lines), which is specially designed for the end consumer. The first will give us the opportunity to accommodate guests of the park all-season and an economically sustainable model, and the second will create a new circle of “stakeholders” of the territory who can participate in the project to one degree or another.
The most pressing question not only for Nikola-Lenivets, but now and for many in general: are you planning to raise prices? In particular, for tickets, for overnight stays in guest houses?
A. K.: A slight increase is possible, as it happens every year, but it is not associated with a loss of investment in the project, but is associated in general with the policy of the festival.
What are your most vivid memories of cooperation with Archpolis?
Y. B.: Largely thanks to the activities of Archpolis, such successful projects as the Night of New Media, the Children's Camp and the Nikola-Lenivets farm have appeared on the territory. Artel of Nikolai Polissky was able to launch and create such projects as "Universal Mind" and "Beaubourg". All these are undertakings that have planted the right vectors and brought up a number of excellent curators and managers, such as Ivan Polissky, Katya Melikhova, Anna and Sergey Morozov, and others. This situation will be a good test and will allow us to understand to what extent our team can stretch all the directions of the project, what is viable and what is not. And, of course, over the three years of Archpolis's existence, management skills of a different scale and quality have appeared. It is important. Since any of us can now enter the labor market with an understanding of the tasks and practical skills. And be in demand. There is a lot of land in Russia, but few hands.
What sponsors supported Archstoyanie and other projects of Nikola-Lenivets before the advent of Archpolis?
A. K: Nikolay Polissky and Archstoyanie supported and supports a number of large, private and niche sponsors existing in the architecture and construction market: Solo, Krost, Vitra, Bars, Solo, VIP to VIP, Nora, Artishok and many others. We received grants from Russian and foreign foundations. The largest grant was awarded by the European Union in 2009. Recently we have been able to reach out to such partners as Peugeot, Mini, Yandex, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Foundation.
What sources of funding do you now consider as the main ones for the projects of Nikola-Lenivets?
Y. B.: Our fundraising process is constantly on and we are still looking for government sources. Most likely, we will have a synthesized, as always, system: private investments, niche sponsors, government grants, crowdfunding + infrastructure earnings. The Archstoyanie festival already last year collected about 50% of its annual budget through sponsors and tickets. So there is hope that the exit to self-sufficiency is not far off.
How successful, from your point of view, crowdfunding - in particular, I remember your project to find funds for the construction of the "Lazy Ziggurat", did you manage to raise them in this way or did you have to attract a title sponsor?
A. K.: Crowdfunding is a very capricious thing. The popularity of an object collected in this way depends on a thousand reasons. The "lazy ziggurat", unfortunately, did not collect the planned money. Obviously, not everyone in our country shares the problems of Architecture. In my experience, crowdfunding works better in those genres where there is more "movement", where the effect is achieved instantly (music festivals, cinema, etc.).
Now let's look at the situation from the other side, the optimistic one. What do you think will be able to be saved most likely and in spite of everything?
Y. B.: We are now revising the project management scheme and, I am sure that we will be able to build a system of self-government in the territory where the main participants in the process create their projects without expecting large investments, but rely primarily on their own strength. Investments in this case usually come by themselves.
Nikola-Lenivets crafts of Nikolai Polissky and the Archstoyanie festival are private brands and they will continue to exist and develop. The people who make them are committed to the process. We very much hope that by joint efforts we will not interrupt the development of the Children's Camp, the Night of New Media and the Nikola-Lenivets farm.
How will the summer program change? What are your overall plans for the coming year?
A. K.: The summer program will shrink, we are going to hold only one massive event - "Archstoyanie". However, creative and educational residences will operate during the warm season.
This year we decided to change the geography of the Archstoyanie festival and move to the village of Zvizzhi, adjacent to the territory of Nikola-Lenivets. People live in Zvizzhi, many of whom have helped us all these years, the festival has helped many of them to create their small local businesses. This year "Archstoyanie" will be engaged in the transformation of the public spaces of the village. Without belittling the value of Archstoyanie as a leader in park and landscape architecture, we will reorient the task to useful “rural” art, to the necessary, but neglected places. Hopefully, during the general crisis, the festival will be able to help the village.
Speech about Art Residence Zvizzhi? Who works there and how does Archstoyanie plan to interact with the Art Residence?
Y. B.: Yes, the village of Zvizzhi is part of the territory of the Nikola-Lenivets project, one of the three villages that make up the territory. In 2012–2013, we implemented the project "Residence in Zvizzhi" together with AMK and the Mondrian Foundation (Holland). The projects were presented at Archstoyanie. It was a very useful project for us, as we understood a lot about the local society and established “horizontal connections” in interaction with the local population. In general, we have an art residency program all the time, but so far without an ‘open call’. The open residence program must be backed by sustainable funding. We invite those authors with whom we plan to work on projects, provide them with accommodation and food, and work together on an idea. So the next residents of the IP will be Perm artists "Where the Dogs Run" and architects Gijs Van Vaerenbergh (Belgium) and Martin Reinisch (Czech Republic).
