Constructivism Without Canvas
Exhibition "Constructivism Without Canvas" is an attempt to draw attention to the fragility of the constructivist heritage in Almaty.
Inspired by the work of Alexander Broulov, an artist and designer from St. Petersburg who embroiders buildings and small architectural forms of the avant-garde era to highlight the issue of their preservation and restoration, we invited him to collaborate.
At our request, especially for this exhibition, he embroidered several iconic buildings of Almaty's constructivism. Embroidered on small, mostly black pieces of cotton fabric, the avant-garde architecture reminds us of its fragility and the need for careful restoration of structures from this period.
Inspired by the work of Alexander Broulov, an artist and designer from St. Petersburg who embroiders buildings and small architectural forms of the avant-garde era to highlight the issue of their preservation and restoration, we invited him to collaborate.
At our request, especially for this exhibition, he embroidered several iconic buildings of Almaty's constructivism. Embroidered on small, mostly black pieces of cotton fabric, the avant-garde architecture reminds us of its fragility and the need for careful restoration of structures from this period.
Constructivist buildings in Almaty can be counted on one hand. Objects that were embroidered by the community as part of a collective embroidery workshop are mostly lost or altered beyond recognition, and only a few buildings have retained their original appearance.
The exhibition featured embroidered objects of architectural avant-garde created by Alexander, scattered throughout the territory of the former USSR, from St. Petersburg to Almaty. Also part of the exhibition was a collective map of constructivism embroidered by the residents of Almaty.
What unites them is that all the embroidered constructivist objects are either already lost or are under the threat of disappearance. The Almaty series is a unique historical collection, presented for the first time in the nonmuseum of architecture.
The exhibition featured embroidered objects of architectural avant-garde created by Alexander, scattered throughout the territory of the former USSR, from St. Petersburg to Almaty. Also part of the exhibition was a collective map of constructivism embroidered by the residents of Almaty.
What unites them is that all the embroidered constructivist objects are either already lost or are under the threat of disappearance. The Almaty series is a unique historical collection, presented for the first time in the nonmuseum of architecture.
The fabric on which the facades of Almaty's constructivism are embroidered is produced at the legendary Alma-Ata Cotton Mill, and the history of Kazakhstani cotton begins with the construction of Turkestan-Siberian Railway and the transfer of the capital from Kyzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata. All these historical events are captured in the constructivist buildings of Almaty, which are presented on the collective embroidered map and in the archival video chronicle, which also became part of the exhibition.
The "Constructivism Without Canvas" exhibition aimed to draw attention to the importance and necessity of preserving the architectural heritage of the avant-garde not only in the homeland of constructivism but also in Almaty.
The "Constructivism Without Canvas" exhibition aimed to draw attention to the importance and necessity of preserving the architectural heritage of the avant-garde not only in the homeland of constructivism but also in Almaty.
Preparation for the exhibition lasted for two months. During this time, significant work was done on organization and meaning search.
In addition to the embroideries and the constructivism map, the exhibition featured models of constructivist buildings, including Government house, NKVD workers' house, Main Post Office buildings (Telecommunication House), residential buildings for NKVD workers, and the Turkestan-Siberian Railway management.
In addition to the embroideries and the constructivism map, the exhibition featured models of constructivist buildings, including Government house, NKVD workers' house, Main Post Office buildings (Telecommunication House), residential buildings for NKVD workers, and the Turkestan-Siberian Railway management.
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