The object of Alexander Brodsky, built for the curatorial program of Alejandro Aravena, stands in the distance, we can say that at the very edge of the main exhibition, behind the wide columns of the dilapidated docks of the 18th century Arsenal. The object is small: a house with a pitched roof, the format of a country kitchen-shed, inclined at an angle close to 95 ° (remember the famous restaurant-pier in Pirogovo) - you might think that an imaginary wind from the Arsenal exhibitions blows a fragile structure into the water of the canal. You cannot go inside, but there is a through hole-door through which you can look at the water of the harbor and its port taps. The house, therefore, is more of a portal, or even a view frame, than the house itself.
The entire surface is covered with roofing material, deliberately shabby and nailed with cheap wooden slats - they say that Brodsky wanted it to be roofing material from the construction market, but the architects nevertheless bought it in Leroy Merlin. They also say that the structure is really not very reliable, and when the architects, having assembled it in the neighborhood, installed the object - as planned, on the very edge of the white-stone embankment, it almost fell into the water.
At the wall opposite from the water is a table with a chess set. It is made of rusted metal, like the two chairs, and they are all tilted at the same angle as the "house." Chess is gigantic, and sculpted from cracked clay - I don't know if it would be superfluous to remind you that this is one of Brodsky's favorite techniques. It is striking that among chess there are few pawns and many queens.
We will not interpret the installation now, we are just showing it to you. She reveals the theme of the Biennale by standing above the water, on the border of the exhibition part, at the very edge - on the line between the still partly military territory of the Arsenal and the second part of it, which has already been mastered artistically. Yes, and simply taking a step into the portal, you can experience a slight dizziness, as over a cliff, so characteristic of border zones. Brodsky simply shows us once again that at the edge of the abyss, under the wind, however in this case from the south, you can hide, sit quietly, play chess, and move your queens.
