Alexander Konstantinov. Engravings that amplify the urban scene
20/01/2019.
Works between art and architecture
metalocus, OLGA SVISHCHEVA
metalocus, OLGA SVISHCHEVA
We present some of the projects by Alexander Konstantinov whose work is difficult to define and blurs the lines between art and architecture. Made from metal, wood and aluminium, these permanent objects look like giant threedimentional drawings. Their architectonic or natural motifs integrated in parks or other urban spaces create an atmosphere of harmonic absurdness, enriching the banal panoram with the artistic potencial.
Unter der Linde by Alexander Konstantinov. Hohenems, Austria, 2008.
Unter der Linde by Alexander Konstantinov. Hohenems, Austria, 2008.
Unter der Linde by Alexander Konstantinov. Hohenems, Austria, 2008.
Aqueduct by Alexander Konstantinov. Hohenems, Austria, 2008.
Aluminium House by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2010.
Aluminium House by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2010.
Aluminium House by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2010.
Blue Trees by Alexander Konstantinov. New York, 2011.
Blue Trees by Alexander Konstantinov. New York, 2011.
Blue Trees by Alexander Konstantinov. New York, 2011.
Color House by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2015.
Color Trees by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2014.
Color Trees by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2014.
Irony by Alexander Konstantinov. Nieuwerkerken, Belgium, 2009.
Irony by Alexander Konstantinov. Nieuwerkerken, Belgium, 2009.
Irony by Alexander Konstantinov. Nieuwerkerken, Belgium, 2009.
Orchard by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, 2012.
Portillons by Alexander Konstantinov. Paris, 2012.
Portillons by Alexander Konstantinov. Paris, 2012.
Pediments by Alexander Konstantinov. Moscow, area, 2007.
Izba Basilica by Alexander Konstantinov. Kaluga area, Russia, 2008.
Remote Office by Alexander Konstantinov. Kaluga area, Russia, 2010.
The city air has taken me out of the closed and «jealous» museum rooms to the street. I kept working with the museums, but in the open and thus started to create objects for the urban space. Art stopped being a private action and allowed the public to enjoy art without being taken away from daily life.
At the beginning, I started working with more ephemeral installations, hand made objects with sellotape wrapped over industrial plastic with the help of a group of students. Little by little the tape was replaced by more durable materials like wood, aluminium or glass, and the students by construction companies. The facades became buildings, schools, bus stations and hotels.
I was creating giant drawings in 3D or rather engravings that amplify the urban scene with a series of cultural references. We could say that my installations came out of the portfolio full with drawings. In one Austrian gallery we even made an exhibition where the drawings and etchings were flying out of the windows to fill up the city. The other example of such works was the White Quarter that appeared in the courtyard of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and presented the giant negative of an Italian etching that is kept in the nearby building.
At the beginning, I started working with more ephemeral installations, hand made objects with sellotape wrapped over industrial plastic with the help of a group of students. Little by little the tape was replaced by more durable materials like wood, aluminium or glass, and the students by construction companies. The facades became buildings, schools, bus stations and hotels.
I was creating giant drawings in 3D or rather engravings that amplify the urban scene with a series of cultural references. We could say that my installations came out of the portfolio full with drawings. In one Austrian gallery we even made an exhibition where the drawings and etchings were flying out of the windows to fill up the city. The other example of such works was the White Quarter that appeared in the courtyard of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and presented the giant negative of an Italian etching that is kept in the nearby building.
Alexander Konstantinov
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Aleksander Konstantinov
Alexander Konstantinov, born in 1953 in Moscow, is an artist and architect. He graduated from Moscow University of Electronics and Mathematics in 1977. He has a PhD in mathematics. In Soviet Era he was working as underground artist. From the beginning of perestroika he had opened his art for public. Alexander’s artwork has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Europe and the United States. From the beginning of the XXI century he started to create large size installations in public spaces and gradually moved to work on the actual architectural projects.
In his architectural work, Alexander Konstantinov has designed buildings, public spaces and parks, industrial objects and developed municipal master plans. Among his completed projects are: a city bus station and several hotels in Esch-sur-Alzette, a school in Rumelange (Luxembourg), Sokolniki Park (Moscow), a power plant (Luxembourg), and Turn Park (Massachusetts).
In his architectural work, Alexander Konstantinov has designed buildings, public spaces and parks, industrial objects and developed municipal master plans. Among his completed projects are: a city bus station and several hotels in Esch-sur-Alzette, a school in Rumelange (Luxembourg), Sokolniki Park (Moscow), a power plant (Luxembourg), and Turn Park (Massachusetts).
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