Robin Kemme, creative director of the Fabrique design agency, and Martin Paul from space & matter, an archbureau equally engaged in creative reconstructions of buildings and exhibition projects that are not devoid of leftist shocking, will take place at Trekhgornaya Manufactory, MARSH and even in Nizhny Novgorod. We asked a few questions to the organizer of this tour.
October 14, Friday, 16:30 - presentation of Pi41 "Creative Industries of the Netherlands" at Trekhgorka
October 14, Friday, 19:30 - lectures by Robin Kemme and Martine Paul at MARCH // in English
October 15, Saturday, 15:00 - lecture by Robin Kemme in the Garage
October 15, Saturday, 14:00 - lecture by Martine Paul at Arsenal, Nizhny Novgorod
Maria Troshina, editor-in-chief of Pi
Archi.ru:
Creative industries are a terribly relevant concept now. Apparently, it is assumed that they will save our post-industrial world in times of crisis. How would you define this phenomenon, what is the main thing in it?
Maria Troshina:
- It seems to me that the main thing in creative industries is their appeal to individuality, to a specific person with his desires and thoughts. This became especially evident after working on an issue dedicated to this, I'm not afraid to say, an industry in the Netherlands. It is the industry, since in this country now at all levels conditions have been created that are conducive to the development of creative initiatives.
Why is Pi just now tackling a series of magazines dedicated to the creative industries?
- For a couple of years of my work on the magazine, which was conceived as a digest, it became clear to me that it is interesting to talk and read about trends. About world trends. Especially to our readers.
Let me explain. We have a strange bias: somewhere we are ten years late, if we compare it with Europe, and somewhere we are running "ahead of the locomotive." It seems to me that the topic of creative industries somehow levels this gap. Describing foreign architecture in our country, you always feel that we are on the periphery, since we are hopelessly late in technologies and materials, and the crisis only aggravates the situation. It is indisputable that we have beautiful architecture, but it is not enough, and with the crisis it has become even less. It seems to me that creative industries are the moment in which we are similar to foreign countries. At the same time, we are still an architectural magazine. And architecture is becoming on a par with the creative industries, enriched with similar ideas and meanings.
I see our series as someone else's experience, which may be interesting and useful to us, and not as a picture on the topic “what we could have, but for some reason we don’t”. This is some kind of wave that does not come from professionals who dictate the world how it should be. Professionals have to be sensitive to the needs of ordinary people. And it seems to me that this is happening everywhere. Such a paradigm shift. In this sense, I like the theme of the Venice Biennale, announced by Aravena. Reporting from the front is for everyone.
And yes, we live like this, as shown in our pavilion. Architecture is the most important indicator of time and place. This is what they are labeled with.
By what principle do you choose the heroes of your publications?
- There is always freedom of choice. We planned a number for the Netherlands with Bart Goldhorn. He, of course, is aware of everything that happens in his homeland. But then the content changed. I would like to say more, but the magazine format is a rather harsh thing and does not tolerate excesses. That is why we invited our heroes to Russia in order to better understand what is happening “with them” and to what extent it really resonates with “us”.
The heroes of publications in different headings, if we are talking about persons and bureaus, are an attempt to understand different sides of the Netherlands. I have known many of them for a long time, we published their projects, and it was interesting to watch how they grow. Still, we must talk about projects as the main characters. And in this sense, we tried to take projects that could show how architecture and design, if they are sensitive to the needs of people, can transform society.
At the same time, we did not forget for a second that all this is in fact a business. But based on some other mechanisms than ours. And, most interestingly, these mechanisms were not born by themselves. They suffered and won back. This moment is very important for me personally in relation to the Netherlands.
Speakers - Robin Kemme from Fabrique, a design agency that combines work on super-sites focused on mobile phones and applications for them, with city branding. They came up with the brand of the city Agras in the form of the letter A with the silhouette of the Taj Mahal and reproduced it throughout the city. Reminds branding of Moscow … But from their website Rijksmuseum I could not tear myself away, this is, frankly, a delightful site. Do you have a favorite Fabrique project?
- In this addiction, you and I, apparently, are similar, it was not in vain that we graduated from the Department of Art History of Moscow State University. It is the delight of meeting beauty. But I must say that the approach of this agency captivates by the fact that they create, excuse me, "products" that make you involved in almost any process, be it the art of painting or music, turning it into a fascinating story. Fine arts are understandable, but when you go through security at the airport without stress, it already concerns everyone.
As for Agra, I do not see any similarities with Moscow - it seems to me that they were able to capture the rhythm and plurality of images of the city of the past, present and future and build it into a system that will be understandable to both locals and city guests.
Honestly, space & matter portfolio I liked it less. The idea of limiting the development of Heathrow Airport, setting up a nearby cemetery of Greenpeace members, who die on average 300 people a year, seems to be some kind of excessive … Although their architectural projects are not bad, for example, the design code for a city of houses on the water or a mini-hotel in the houses of the bridge keepers, which have become unnecessary with the development of new technologies - very much even nothing. Why were they called?
- Frankly, this is the very bureau that I have been observing over the past few years. They are young, but they have some kind of correct understanding of space, not only in the physical, but partly in the metaphysical sense: we all live together, and it is important to hear each other. Sometimes a pick is not enough for this, and they are ready to become one. And they become. Their projects, where they become intermediaries between people and physical spaces - this is real modern architecture. To make the incomprehensible understandable and our own - in this I see the path of architecture. After all, we see beauty where we see our own - that which we can understand and accept.
Holland is a country whose creative industry is known as one of the most developed, it is understandable that we started with it. Which countries are next?
- Of course everything is clear. The founding father of our magazine, Bart Goldhorn, is Dutch (laughs). We will keep the intrigue for now. It is difficult to predict in our time. But I know for sure that there are several topics from the issue about the Netherlands that are very relevant for our country, and they will definitely be covered in the next issue. But already in another country. The problems are the same everywhere.
