The theme of the twenty-second, that is, remembering almost the entire history of the post-Soviet space, the festival of the Union of Architects of Russia - “New Industries. Positive practices of urban development”, and we talked in sufficient detail, through the mouth of curators, about his non-profit program. It's time to share your impressions of the festival reality.
The first culture shock - "Zodchestvo" takes place in the Central House of Artists, which has kindly sheltered it. As far as we know, this was discussed for a long time, at least after the permanent Bolshoi Manezh somewhat unceremoniously staged a festival, prolonging at its expense an exhibition about the history of the Romanov family, dear to the loyal heart of the people. After that, the All-Russian architectural festival was held for a couple of years in Gostiny Dvor.
For visitors to the exhibition, a place is, as you know, half of the impressions, and maybe even more. It also had an effect on the SAR festival. On the one hand, we inevitably now compare Zodchestvo with Arch Moscow. That is, they used to compare them before, but now, when there is an opportunity to put them on top of each other literally, it is another matter, I just want to try everything on. Moreover, the previous "Architecture" took place in December and has not yet cooled down, Arch Moscow is in May, and now it is only the beginning of October, the events are compressed, which also provokes, and I want to say something about Peter's New Year, then spring, then summer support - it would be nice to leave it that way, three festivals on account of the New Year holidays. But there is still the old New Year, and it is badly letting down, there won't be enough curators for so many festivals. But you can hold some kind of competition at this time. Or announce.
But that's not the point. Approaching the CHA, one is involuntarily surprised by the absence of a large banner on the facade. Inside, you realize that the third floor is not occupied, there is an exhibition of paintings. In a word, now the festival is two or three times, rather three times smaller than Arch Moscow, even in its crisis, reduced state.
This may be bad for the festival, but good for the audience. Because the history of Zodchestvo can, of course, be viewed in different ways, but it can be viewed as a long and difficult process of cleansing from unnecessary things. The festival has an immanent, that is, intrinsic, feature: its organizers invariably strive to reward everyone and attract as many participants as possible. Everyone was called and everyone was awarded. Moreover, it is all-Russian, in a word, it has always been a labyrinth of tedious wanderings. Many architects and designers tried to structure the mass, but they only managed to stuff it into the boxes, as with careless cleaning. Even in December, although by the titanic, one must think, efforts of the curators of the Asadov brothers, the exposition became much clearer, more transparent and fascinating, traces of the birth trauma of Zodchestvo could be read. Now they are almost nonexistent, or they are not visible. It is difficult to say what the reason is, the main reason, one must think, is economic - the crisis, but in this case it had a great influence on the whole, the exhibition became so light, almost soaring.
Much has moved, one must think, into the format of communication and presentations (the program is here). Something is definitely set by the building itself and the arch of Moscow. The experience of the Asadovs in organizing the "Cities" festival played some role - however, there is not a word about them in the exposition, although a presentation of a book on the history of the project is planned. But now, it turned out easily and freely.
The central hall on the second floor is occupied by the main curatorial project "New Industries": wide canvases hang from a high ceiling, in front of each there is a model on a unified suitcase. Completely different projects are involved. Large residential complexes on the site of industrial zones, of varying degrees of completion: Moscow's Garden Quarters by Sergei Skuratov, St. Petersburg's Rossiya Plant by Sergei Tchoban, Project Symbol - reconstruction of Hammer and Sickle according to the project that won the LDA design competition. On the contrary, there are experiments in the artistic transformation of territories and industrial zones: the Art-Ovrag festival, the Flacon design plant, the just started little-known NimLoft project from Ivanovo - a sewing cluster. The Middle Volga branch of the NCCA, reconstructed by Evgeny Ass, has collected almost all possible compliments. On the contrary, projects are utopian and unrealized, exhibition: a five-year-old project for the revival of Vyshny Volochek, shown by Sergei Tchoban at the Venice Biennale. Still, it seems that the project of transforming the monotown Satki has not begun, but rather a problem statement than a project. Or terrifying brutality, or maybe - playing on the nerves of out-of-favor hipsters and their parents, - "Industrial houses" by Peter Vinogradov, who offers to place them all over the country, than to remind "… about truly human values, the main of which is LABOR" … In big letters. Peace Labor may. Workhouses. Of the "buildings that provoke work", the barrack on chicken legs is especially good.
On the contrary: the project for the transformation of the Volkhonka district, a project-study of possible improvement, published by the architects in a separate book. In a word, the curators interpreted the topic broadly: what are the new industries in the post-industrial society? Anti-industry. There was a factory, it stalled, everything was dirty, architects came, cleared the soil, built elite housing. There was a state farm, young architects and artists came, settled, began to do something. Here's how lucky - this "industry" does not always work out. "Guslitsy's estate", by the way, brought live geese, they are in the corner, on the right.
Around the projects of a smaller format on the same topic: shown separately ZIL quarters, a selection of projects for the transformation of Russian territories in the spirit of Winzavod, interspersed with foreign examples. Vladimir Frolov shows the public spaces of St. Petersburg. But it is important that the exhibitions that complement the main one are solved in one design, quite successfully: not large, but well illuminated. In a parallel long hall, the MARCH school shows itself with non-stop lectures. All this can be very conditionally called an industry, with reservations and explanations, indirectly, but beautiful.
A real industry on the left side of the hall, where from many regions the most stubborn ones remained, five or six in number. The stand of the Moscow Region is pure light, it is difficult to understand anything definitely there. But Moscow's stand is defined as never before, here is the new face of panel housing construction, and this face (what did you think?) Merlin Monroe. We recall that in the spring at Arch Moscow, the floor of the third floor was given over to the new DSK, so colorful and friendly. Now at the stand there is a plywood egg with a projection of panel series projects. You need to go inside, it does a good job simulating immersion in a renewed industry. However, the same trick can be done simply by going out into the yard and mentally painting the surrounding in a multi-colored checker. The latter are very popular; here it is best to go to the neighboring stand of the Tambov region, here - solid DSC, half is painted with large sunflowers, the second by them, but in an abstracted version. Believe it or not, the strongest impression.
But back to white. The projects of the competition are located around the perimeter, on the outer wall, are well lit and look smart. Here, too, a new tendency: if earlier Moscow architects, as has been repeatedly noted, did not exhibit at Zodchestvo, now they have come, not all, but many. There are many projects, including student projects, and buildings from Nizhny Novgorod. In particular, the Nizhny Novgorod National Center for Contemporary Arts and the office building on Bolshaya Pecherskaya Street by Evgeny Pestov apply for Daedalus. The same list includes the office complex "Lotos" by Sergei Tchoban and, say, the residential complex "Levoberezhnaya Dubrava" by Viktor Logvinov in Khimki. The winners of the all-Russian show will be announced on Saturday. In the meantime, it makes sense to come to Zodchestvo and evaluate the new format of the festival on your own.
