«Archstant-2018»: Three Events You Couldn't Miss

This year the festival took a strong turn toward theater: only two new objects and sixteen performances in the program. We will try to tell you what you missed if you were not in Nikola-Lenivets from July 27 to 29.

4 Fast Facts About Archstant

This is the largest land art and landscape art objects festival in Europe and Russia

It takes place twice a year (in summer and winter) in the Nikola-Lenivets park

The festival was founded in 2006 by Nikolai Polissky

There are currently 27 objects on the Nikola-Lenivets territory

"Bobur", Nikolai Polissky

"Universal Mind", Nikolai Polissky

"Bernaskoni Arch", architectural bureau BERNASCONI

"House Above the Forest", Anna Shchetinina

Three Most Interesting Events at Archstant-2018

Opening of "Villa PO-2"

The main event of the 13th edition of the landscape objects festival was the presentation of "Villa PO-2" by architect Alexander Brodsky. This compact villa is built from concrete fence panels PO-2, and is clad inside with wood. Despite its modest dimensions, it can accommodate up to ten people.

"Villa PO-2" by Alexander Brodsky

From the meadow where "Villa PO-2" stands, you can see another work by Brodsky — "The Rotunda". It appeared in the park in 2009 and became one of his symbols.

"The Rotunda" by Alexander Brodsky

If you stand on the high bank overlooking the Ugra River, next to the church that the creators of the Nikola-Lenivets park restored with sponsor funds, and look down, you can see another one — "The Cot".

"The Cot" by Alexander Brodsky

Landscape

The park's landscape remains an event worth visiting Nikola-Lenivets at any time of the year. The founders of the park, architect Vasily Shchetinin and artist Nikolai Polissky, together with their architect friends created the first objects that have already become local legends.

"Lighthouse" by Nikolai Polissky

Each object is a philosophical work on the theme of human interaction with nature and at the same time a point that allows you to see the Nikola-Lenivets landscape from a new angle. That is, a place where a traveler enchanted by the beauty of nearby fields and woodlands can sit down, take a sip from a flask, and think about how many more wonderful places there are in Russia.

"White Gates" by Nikolai Polissky

Every year new objects appear in the park, skillfully integrated into the landscape: for example, two years ago, this flexible bridge appeared, which blends into its environment, changes, and lives with it. It connects opposite banks: nature and human mind, people and beavers, who created a swamp in this place. Architects propose not to fight against them, as many gardeners do, but rather to build bridges to them.

"The Bridge" created by architectural bureau Wowhaus

Performances, lectures, theatrical laboratories

Why theater? Because it is the most universal of all arts. Contemporary theater has absorbed everything: architecture, video, dance. And fits perfectly into land art. Therefore, the organizers of the festival this year turned the park into a large stage. At "Archstant-2018" there were sixteen performances and only two new objects.

The walls of "Villa PO-2" became part of the dynamic performance by the group Poema Theatre. The authors were inspired by the idea of an oasis in a desert.

Poema Theatre, dynamic performance.

Not far from "Villa PO-2", solemn funeral rites for the Fly were held.

And on another meadow, at the same time, people were laughing. This was "The Spell of Laughter in the Forest Thicket".

Meanwhile, there was a serious program: directors and composers told the audience about why the viewer becomes part of the play, how to listen to modern opera and watch contemporary theatrical productions. And in the evening, films were shown outdoors in a cinema hall.