Anarchi-tecture: Self-Building Practices in Revolutionary Russia

• In Event: Revolutionary Life beyond the State

Abstract

In the very first issue of Iskusstvo kommuny, a short-lived but influential art newspaper published in Petrograd in 1918-1919, Kazimir Malevich famously proclaimed architecture to be “a slap in the face of reinforced concrete” (Iskusstvo kommuny, 7 December, 1918). In his article, the artist rejected the very notion of order in architecture as it had been known for centuries. In my presentation, I will discuss the innovative practices in architecture in revolutionary Russia that took inspiration from Malevich’s slogan and challenged and reimagined the traditional way of living.

Author

• Liana Battsaligova, Oberlin College