Svobodny (Free) Koptevoland Originals for sale

My first museum solo, a project which took more than 6 years to develop. It is a story of Svobodny Koptevoland — a social mutation comprising several adjacent regular city districts and informal settlements in Northern Moscow. Known as the Liberated Communities of Svobodny Koprevoland (after Koptevo, an actual nondescript district), these areas have unanimously left the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation to start an autonomous social mutation in December 2012.

After a year of social experimentation, both egalitarian and autocratic, Svobodny Koptevoland physically elevated itself and disappeared into the clouds.

The story of this universe is told through Toxik Komsomolets Weekly, which followed developments in the Liberated Communities throughout their existence — first as a Sunday SMS list, and later as email circulation.

Koptevoland's universe is animated with bizarre elements: the Bubbling Flesh, a colossal blob of gurgling living mass, stretching sometimes to cover up to 3 hectares and capable of morphing its body to mimic forms of foreign objects, Renegade Police, cut off from Russian mainland after the Liberation and terrorising locals, and many more.

Graphic pieces were mounted into e-money terminals, ubiquitous in Moscow of the late 2000s. Koptevoland's existence was possible due to large scale electricity theft — hence the exposition is built around a ‘hijacked’ transmission tower, evoking images of South African izinyokas — illegal electricity connections in the townships and informal settlements.

Techniques

Inspiration

Urban Informality, Cars, QUIWI payment terminals, Color Pink