Anna Bochkova, Daniela Grabosch, Natalia
Gurova, Danielle Pamp, Siggi Sekira
1.05.2020 – 1.06.2020
10xx Vienna,
Austria
Kvartirnik, from the Russian kvartira (a flat), is an acoustic
concert performed in a domestic setting: an ordinary apartment. Kvartirnik can
also, however, be a poetry evening or other forms of creative and intellectual
exchange. Under the Soviet Union, such gatherings were important expressions of
the local avant-garde scene or a way to safely pass time in an intimately
confined environment. The tradition lives on.
‘Kvartirnik’ presents five artistic
positions in four different locations, reconstructing one united Viennese flat.
We enter the bright living room with Daniela Grabosch, where a single textile
piece hangs on the door like a giant rose petal and a video quietly plays on
her phone with its cold, cautious voice. We later step into the bedroom with delicate
sculptures by Anna Bochkova, haphazardly occupying the small space. Then we
peak in the bathroom with Natalia Gurova and go down the staircase, flying over
her bright silicone sculptures. Finally, there is a backyard with works by
Danielle Pamp and Siggi Sekira—to gulp a breath of fresh air like a miniature
ceramic sculpture overgrown by thistles, or to imagine a familial hug.
Kvartirnik exists on its own, with
objects taking the central part, longing for the communion and normal life. The
last thing you see is the shabby door and the choice to leave the silent gig or
go upstairs. As Joseph Brodsky wrote, ‘Don’t leave your room, just say you have
the influenza/A wall and table are the most fascinating agenda.’