Odnushka Project: a Social Sculpture in Novo-Molokovo
From May, 1 to Oсtober, 27 of 2019 the public art project Odnushka was realized in Novo-Molokovo, one of the most famous community building districts of Moscow area.
Social sculpture Odnushka is dedicated to the most common type of housing in Russia — the one-room flat. Artist Elena Kolesnikova and curator Elena Ishenko transformed an ex-sales office into a typical but free-standing one-room flat changing the intimate place of a flat into a public space giving way to meetings, talks between inhabitants of the newly built city district. Being a meeting place with cultural program Odnushka at the same time explored the experiences of people in modern conditions of new living districts, where everything starts over — renovation, friends, family, daily routes, recreational spaces, habits. Odnushka also included some recreational spaces and a library.
Following the logic of the relational aesthetics, local residents and local initiatives were involved in participating and co-creating the Odnushka project. Together with the residents, a public program of lectures and workshops was implemented, including a program for children and teenagers. Art residency program was also a part of Odnushka project, when during an open call the project curator Elena Ishenko selected 4 actors of contemporary art scene, who implemented their own projects in Odnushka.
Odnushka is important to me as an opportunity to create a space “home outside home”, where people can break away from their familiar roles and manifest themselves, perhaps in an unexpected way. It is also an opportunity to talk on many important topics — the comfort and quality of life; the creation and development of public spaces; strengthening good neighborhood relations; the emergence and spread of experience in supporting initiatives. I hope that this project will create a positive experience and serve as an example of the organization of public spaces for people in other districts.
It was no coincidence that we have chosen the ex-sales office for the project. This building was probably visited by all residents of Novo-Molokovo. Now they will visit this space one again, but with a different purpose — flats are sold out, houses are populated, and instead of sale-purchase relationships should come a nice and warm neighbourliness. In my opinion, it is necessary to have some outside force that can pull people out of their covers, their cozy "one-room" flats and bring them all together to show possibilities of interaction, friendship, and good neighborliness. In Novo-Molokovo, the Cultural Center has become such a force, and Odnushka will continue its work, but in a different context of contemporary art practices.
The development of territories by means of culture, when cultural practices involve people into community building is one of the main strategies of Aksenov Family Foundation. So that is why we decided to support the initiative of Austrian Cultural Forum and got involved into production of Odnushka.
The presentation of the objects — results of Odnushka project in Novo-Molokovo was held in the public space on October 27th, 2019 and was part of the annual social research project of the Austrian Cultural Forum "Na RAjONE. Cultural Dynamics and Artistic Energy in the Center, Districts and Periphery".
Project “NA RAjONE” is planned to be an artistic exchange, a visualization of the culturally most relevant and dynamic places of big cities today — the districts, the suburbs. It is there where new aesthetics is created, where the most people live and where social and “normal” life shapes and defines what culture actually is. The transformation of the sales office in Novo-Molokovo is one of the most promising elements of the project Novo-Molokovo is one of the most ambitious and promising elements of this project “NA RAjONE”. It is a great opportunity to work at this place, not just to place some art works, but to really get involved and create an artistic place. Over months Odnushka will work in Novo-Molokovo creating a friendly but truly artistic place interacting with its surroundings. In late fall, there will be a major international presentation of the project.
