Born in the USSR: a new show at Gallery Elena Shchukina explores contemporary Russian design
![Contemporary Russian Design](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kbv4BGA3sJGYdJUvEQVMUd-415-80.jpg)
When curator and Wallpaper* editor-at-large Suzanne Trocmé was looking through Russian resumés for the designers who would ultimately form Born in the USSR, launched at Gallery Elena Shchukina as part of the London Design Festival, she noticed a peculiarity in the bio. 'It said he was born in Leningrad, but he studied in St Petersburg,' says the London-based designer and curator. 'It made me wonder what it means to be born into one cultural environment and practicing in another.'
Trocmé cast her net wider to include designers born in the former USSR before 1991, pre-Perestroika, yet on the cusp of their nation's dissolution - which eventually exposed them to a world of imagery. A student in Russia in the 1980s, she had a unique perspective in the matter. 'There was no advertising,' she says of life behind the curtain then. 'No one else's opinion got in the way. In fact, that absence of visual bombardment was a luxury.'
The final cut of 14 includes some designers who have never left what is now Russia. And yet they design with sophisticated clarity, humour and national spirit. 'The designs I found, out of hundreds of pieces,' says Trocmé, 'embrace Russian traditions but are truly contemporary.'
She points to the wood 'Dot' table by Lera Moiseeva, born to space engineers in Tarusa, Central Russia, in 1986. It is mobile, like a wheelbarrow, with a front wheel that pivots around the main surface 'like in the cosmos'. A collection of clay whistles in the shape of birds by Siberian-born Anna Denisenko reference the old acorn whistles used by Slavic watchmen to warn of approaching enemies.
The exhibition, launched in partnership with Wallpaper*, aims to upturn the stereotype of Russians in London. That the hub of Russian activity in London overlaps, Venn-like, with the Knightsbridge hub of the Design Festival is a stroke of luck.
As for the wider relationship between the two cultures, 'Sanctions are not always useful. It's important to support good talent wherever in the world you find it,' says Trocmé. 'I just wanted to show that Russian design is very cool and has a place in the world, and to support it - despite the geopolitical situation.'
Curated by Wallpaper* editor-at-large Suzanne Trocmé, the exhibition features the work of 14 designers who were born in the former USSR before 1991. Pictured is 'Imenno-Lavka', by Yaroslav Misonzhnikov, is a bicycle-advertising system and mobile shop.
Felt iPhone covers and business-card holders in the basket of Yaroslav Misonzhnikov's 'ad-bike'.
'Vool' by Meta Works is a laptop stand and storage unit crafted from Russian pine.
Detail of Kopytina's 'LightBeans', which are made from natural local oak and coloured textile cord.
'Red Corner', by Maxim Maximov. Traditionally the 'red corner' was a place to pray and display treasured items in the Russian home.
'The Bear Coffee Table', in walnut veneer and MDF, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the iconic Russian symbol by St Petersburg-based designer Alexander Kanygin.
Another playful piece by Kanygin, 'Monkey No 1', is finely wrought from oak, sipo and gum.
'Reconciliation', a brass samovar by Alina Tukhvatullina, in the foreground.
Lera Moiseeva's 'Dot' table has an attached wheel that pivots around the main table leg like an orbiting moon.
'Cararosa' porcelain vase, by Lera Moiseeva. The designer, from a family of space engineers in Tarusa, Russia, is inspired by images of the cosmos.
'Quick USB Flash Drives' with silicone casing by Yury Veredyuk, who was born in the Carpathians but works out of St Petersburg. Veredyuk also designed a traditional Russian rubakha with intricate embroidery that is revealed, on closer look, to be a series of QR codes linked to a Russian portal.
ADDRESS
Gallery Elena Shchukina
18 Beauchamp Place
Knightsbridge
London SW3 1NQ
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Nendo’s collaborations with Kyoto artisans go on view in New York
‘Nendo sees Kyoto’ is on view at Friedman Benda (until 15 October 2022), showcasing the design studio's collaboration with six artisans specialised in ancient Japanese crafts
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Italian craftsmanship comes to Los Angeles in this eclectic Venice Canals apartment
Boffi Los Angeles celebrates a juxtaposition of texture throughout a waterside bolthole
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Design Miami/Basel 2022 explores the Golden Age
Design Miami/Basel 2022, led by curatorial director Maria Cristina Didero, offers a positive spin after the unprecedented times of the pandemic, and looks at the history and spirit of design
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Kvadrat’s flagship New York showrooms encompass colourful design codes
Industrial designer Jonathan Olivares and architect Vincent Van Duysen have worked with Danish textile brand Kvadrat on the vast new space, also featuring furniture by Moroso
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
What to see at New York Design Week 2022
Discover Wallpaper’s highlights from New York Design Week 2022 (10 – 20 May 2022): the fairs, exhibitions and design openings to discover
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Colour defines LA ceramics studio and showroom of Bari Ziperstein
Step inside the multifunctional ceramics studio, office and showroom of designer and artist Bari Ziperstein, designed by local firm Foss Hildreth
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Design for Ukraine: Bocci and Design Miami join forces to raise funds
The online sale of iconic Bocci pieces will benefit GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, providing urgently needed humanitarian aid
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
The Future Perfect celebrates materiality in new Los Angeles exhibition
Coinciding with Frieze LA, a new exhibition titled ‘Momentary Pause’ (17 February – 18 March 2022) explores material-based practices that inspire change
By Hannah Silver Last updated