ROOM
104
Space Lounge
Artistic licence
In honour of the observatory’s 50th anniversary, it
opened its doors and allowed artists to roam free and
install art objects in places of their choosing, from
the astronomers’ village to the observatory itself.
As succinctly put by Simon Mraz, director of the
Austrian Cultural ForumMoscow: “A striking location
was chosen for the observatory, simultaneously
clandestine and providing the clearest, best view
of the stars. And even more remarkable is the
juxtaposition that has resulted - the new observatory
building alongside the ruins of an ancient city.
“I think this collision of ancient history and the
endlessness of space is extremely philosophical
and metaphorical, and is an inexhaustible source
of inspiration for artists. I’m so glad that the
observatory, this centre of science, opened its
doors to allow artists from Austria and Russia to
grasp the vastness of the universe, and also the life
and history of the observatory itself.”
Artists had a unique opportunity to integrate
their works into the surroundings. One particularly
striking art object was Alexandra Paperno’s
‘Abolished Constellations’. Paperno researched
the constellations that did not make it into the
recognised list adopted by the International
Astronomical Union in 1922. Using water-based
paint and small wooden panels, Paperno depicted 51
constellations that date back to the time of Ptolemy,
including the famous Argo Navis constellation,
named after the mythological Greek Argo ship.
The constellations, many of which can no longer
be seen in the Northern hemisphere due to star
shift over time, were then assembled and displayed
in the medieval Northern Zelenchuk cathedral.
The resulting combination of a thousand-year-old
cathedral and the ancient night sky was impressive
to say the least. According to the artist, the
placement of the constellation maps “demonstrated
the link between the scientific and artistic aspects
of the evolution of human thought.”
Ancient origins
Anna Titova’s composition ‘Why Work?’ was dedicated
to the local heroes of Nizhny Arkhyz - Bagrat
Ioannisiani, chief constructor of the observatory,
and archaeologist Sergei Varchenko. Titova’s neon
installation of the wind god Aeolus was located above
a bench in one of the village’s working technical
workshops. Combining a functional workspace and
break room light fixture with a mythological creature,
Titova’s work reflected the ancient origins of the
village in a modern industrial space.
Austrian artists Eva Engelbert created
installations inside the observatory itself.
Engelbert’s ‘Space emblem for GB’ was dedicated
to the Russian space designer Galina Balashova,
who had created the interiors of USSR spaceships,
rockets and space stations, including the original
design for Soyuz-19 and Mir orbital station.
In the dedication of her piece, Engelbert wrote:
“You created a semblance of reality in a fabricated
environment. You built a world in outer space,
from the walls all the way to the emblems on the
astronauts’ spacesuits.”
Balashova (retired since 1990) was instrumental in
both the interior design of the Mir station and the
first landscapes that were sent up into space in the
1960s to alleviate astronauts’ psychological pressure.
One of the most unexpected artworks at the
exhibit was certainly Timofey Radya’s ‘Brighter
than Us’ installation. Set up on a construction
crane in the middle of the field behind the
Homes in the city of
astronomers built in a
plain, modernist style.
Yuri Palmin
Irina Korina’s
‘Svetilishcha’ (svetilo, a
heavenly body that
radiates light, and
svyatilishche, a sacred
place or altar). Objects
were placed on the streets
of the village and
resemble street shrines,
mailboxes and nativity
scenes.
