- PRESS RELEASE - CCCP – Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed Frèderic Chaubin On view April 24 - June 16 Storefront for Art and Architecture 97 Kenmare Street New York, NY 10012 Telephone 212.431.5795 [email protected] Hours: Tues - Sat 11am - 6pm Over the past five years, during the course of his travels in the former Soviet Union, French photographer Frederic Chaubin has documented an extensive collection of startling architectural artifacts born during the last two decades of the Cold War. Architects in the peripheral regions of the Eastern Bloc countries, working on governmental commissions during the ‘70s and ‘80s, enjoyed a surprising degree of creative freedom. Operating in a cultural context hermetically sealed from the influence of their Western counterparts, they drew inspiration from sources ranging from expressionism, science fiction, early European modernism and the Russian Suprematist legacy to produce an idiosyncratic, flamboyant and often imaginative architectural ménage. Unexpected in their contexts, these monumental buildings stand in stark contrast to the stereotypical understanding of late Soviet architecture in which monotonously repetitive urban landscapes were punctuated by vapid exercises in architectural propaganda. The subjects of Chaubin’s photographs, scattered throughout Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, were all constructed during the last two decades of the Soviet era. Very few of their designers achieved anything more than local recognition, and until now these buildings have never been collectively documented or exhibited. The authors of many works remain unknown, and some have been destroyed since Chaubin’s photographs were taken. Conceived and executed during a moment of historical transition, they constitute one of the most surprising and least known legacies of the former USSR. As well as presenting the architecture itself, CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed traces the intellectual and political undercurrents that act as a backdrop, and at times inspiration, for the work of these Soviet architects. The exhibition, a compendium of film stills, drawings, magazine articles and historical timelines maps out the complex genealogy of this overlooked but compelling chapter in the history of 20th century design. Frédéric Chaubin lives in Paris, France. He is editor in chief of the French lifestyle magazine Citizen K.

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Page 1: CCCP – Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed

- PRESS RELEASE -

CCCP – Cosmic Communist Constructions PhotographedFrèderic Chaubin

On view April 24 - June 16

Storefront for Art and Architecture97 Kenmare StreetNew York, NY 10012Telephone [email protected]: Tues - Sat 11am - 6pm

Over the past five years, during the course of his travels in the former Soviet Union, Frenchphotographer Frederic Chaubin has documented an extensive collection of startlingarchitectural artifacts born during the last two decades of the Cold War. Architects in theperipheral regions of the Eastern Bloc countries, working on governmental commissionsduring the ‘70s and ‘80s, enjoyed a surprising degree of creative freedom. Operating in acultural context hermetically sealed from the influence of their Western counterparts, theydrew inspiration from sources ranging from expressionism, science fiction, early Europeanmodernism and the Russian Suprematist legacy to produce an idiosyncratic, flamboyant andoften imaginative architectural ménage. Unexpected in their contexts, these monumentalbuildings stand in stark contrast to the stereotypical understanding of late Soviet architecturein which monotonously repetitive urban landscapes were punctuated by vapid exercises inarchitectural propaganda.

The subjects of Chaubin’s photographs, scattered throughout Armenia, Estonia, Georgia,Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, were all constructed during the last two decades ofthe Soviet era. Very few of their designers achieved anything more than local recognition, anduntil now these buildings have never been collectively documented or exhibited. The authorsof many works remain unknown, and some have been destroyed since Chaubin’sphotographs were taken. Conceived and executed during a moment of historical transition,they constitute one of the most surprising and least known legacies of the former USSR.

As well as presenting the architecture itself, CCCP: Cosmic Communist ConstructionsPhotographed traces the intellectual and political undercurrents that act as a backdrop, and attimes inspiration, for the work of these Soviet architects. The exhibition, a compendium of filmstills, drawings, magazine articles and historical timelines maps out the complex genealogy ofthis overlooked but compelling chapter in the history of 20th century design.

Frédéric Chaubin lives in Paris, France. He is editor in chief of the French lifestyle magazine Citizen K.