July–October 2017
St. Petersburg
The project “Arte Punctura” (2017-2018), organized by the CGES spin-off ARTS4CITY studio, comprises three components: (a) on-site research, (b) art-interventions, (c) public discussions. The studio builds a dialogue between European creative communities and researchers and Russian experts, creatives, researchers, students, and local citizens to explore ways of stimulating creativity in cities.
The interventions and discussions of the project, contributing to the Russian-European scientific dialogue, were conducted in 2017 as an ongoing “anti-festival” in the former “Red Triangle” factory. Part of the “industrial belt” of St. Petersburg, “Red Triangle” is one of the largest post-industrial areas in the city. It comprises 34 HA and 545 000 sq. meters of the building space, half of which is in a ruined condition. The territory has long been drawing theattention of experts, including those from the ARTS4CITY studio: A research project, a series of interventions, and an open discussion were organized here by CGES jointly with Goethe Institute in St. Petersburg. However, the lack of investments from the city and private businesses as well as numerous legalproblems are delayinglarge-scale development of the territory. Simultaneously, the territory is populated by middle and small industrial and service enterprises, as well as by creative residents: musicians, photographers, designers, artists, artisans, who have their studios in the area. In this situation, the most reasonable strategy to develop the territory is grass-rooted cultural regeneration – or “cultural acupuncture”.
In 2017 “Red Triangle” cameinto the focus of attention of the city administration, which has allocated funds to push the process of revitalization forward, not least, because of the previous activities within ARTS4CITY projects in the area. This resulted in a new collaboration with ARTS4CITY studio– now as part of the “Arte Punctura” project.
After research of the area (see the “Research” section of this report), ARTS4CITY team organized eight international events involving creative professionals and scholars from Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, and Russia. Namely:
- Introductory workshop “Art Revitalization of Industrial Territories”, July 21-22, Lumiere Hall
- 1stwave of Arte Punctura interventions, August 21-27
- August 21-27 Street-art project “Golden Dutch in the Triangle” by Olesya Gonserovskaya
- August 23-27 “Code of the Triangle” QR tour into the history of RT by Arte Punctura team
- August 25 Public intervention “Platform” (on an abandoned railway platform next to 263 corpus).
- Red Triangle Chronicles” media exhibition
- Discussion with Red Triangle residents “Future of the Red Triangles: creative cluster or dwelling?”
- Exhibition of RT production and contextual artworks
- Concert featuring musicians - residents of the RT.
- August 26, “Amalgama”, an alternative tour with mirrors through Obvodny channel and RT.
- 2ndwave of Arte Punctura interventions. September 18-23
- Discussion “Changing industrial territories. What can artists do?” by artists Kaspars Lielgalvis and Rene de Rooze at ‘Oktava’ rehearsal point, 36thcorpus, RT.
- Photo exhibition “Atmospheres of the Red Triangle”, lift of the 36thcorpus, RT.
- Tour around RT “Art Projects and Art Studios in the Red Triangle”. Artist talks by Rene de Rooze, Kaspars Lielgalvis, Laura Prikule, Artur Wabik, Olesya Gonserovskaya; visiting artist studios of Nadya Albul and Anna Krasnaya.
- Workshop on creating a micro public space for the 36thcorpus of RT inhabited by musicians with P.Smol crew.
- Tour around RT “Secret Life of Rehearsal Points”.
- September 21, Discussion “The Grey Belt” of St. Petersburg: problems and solutions” organized by Committee of Urban Development and Architecture
- October 5, Week of Strelka Design Institute in St. Petersburg: Discussion “Red Triangle” and other Colours of the “Grey Belt”: Reconstruction of Industrial Territories”.
In 2017, over 500 people took part in Arte Punctura project events and expressed very positive feedback. This success stimulated Arte Punctura team, in collaboration with the Fund for Real Estate of Government of St. Petersburg, to continue initiatives aimed at redevelopment of the “Red Triangle”.