Alexander Brodsky: It still amazes me that I became an architect

Speakers:

• Dietmar Steiner, director of the Az W, welcome address
• Alexei Muratov, editor in chief, Project Russia
• Hildegund Amanshauser, art historian / director of the Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts
• Alexander Brodsky, architect
• Andrea Ecker, Head of Section BMUKK Sektion V

The landscape and cityscapes of Russia today include rampant growth in the property sector, kitsch oligarch's palaces and magnificent buildings based on Western standards amidst prefabricated high-rises made with concrete slabs. However resistance is growing. Alexander Brodsky is the distinguished figure for an artistic and architectural position that rejects the mainstream. His architectural and artistic manifestations are testimonials to a search for a new Russian identity. In his projects, which are characterised by clear simplicity and theatrical strength, never kitsch and never outdated, he frequently combines sharp criticism of the system with subtle irony. A radical and authentic individual position that sets an example for the West, too, here and today. Alexander Brodsky has realised a "Total Installation" for the Az W that takes up the exhibition hall, drawing visitors into its wake: The day becomes night, the dimensions of space and time appear to slowly dissolve as one paces an archaeological chamber of wonders. Having returned to daylight, a selection of Brodsky's completed projects provides insights into his architectural oeuvre. Born in 1955 in Moscow, Alexander Brodsky achieved international acclaim back in the 1980s as one of the most prominent proponents of the Russian 'paper architects', who refused to participate with their Utopian designs in the state structured and soulless building production process. In the 1990s Brodsky concentrated on his artistic activities, and in 1996 he moved to New York. In 2000 he founded his unconventional architecture office and began completing restaurants, family homes and temporary architecture installations. Issue 50/51 of 'hintergrund' is being published as a special edition to accompany the exhibition with essays that provide an in-depth view of Alexander Brodsky and his work (German/English). Architekturzentrum Wien