Public Preview: Wednesday 28 February 2018, 6pm at the AA 7pm at the RIBA
Opening reception at RIBA supported by Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Embassies in London
To mark the centenary of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian independence, the Baltic Material Assemblies presents architecture of the Baltic states, exploring the material, infrastructural and cultural connections that have persevered despite the political borders and conflict lines that have been laid throughout the region.
The exhibition investigates futurity through its inscription into the region’s geology, infrastructure and architecture. Presented at the AA and RIBA, it reveals built space as a common ground for European unity.
Join the curators and contributors on a guided tour of the exhibition at the AA on Saturday 3 March.
Buy tickets to the seventh installment of our Europa series to see architecture practices from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: Kavakava arhitktuuribüroo, Mailītis Architects, Baltic Pavilion and Process Office speak at the RIBA on Tuesday 20 March.
The story behind the exhibition
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the only former Soviet states to have become members of the European Union. An overwhelming majority of the energy networks, mining operations and urban layouts that were instruments of the soviet industrialisation of the Baltic States remain functional today. The reconfiguration or dismantling of this vast space demands a new relationship between society and its environment.
The transformation of the Baltic States is incremental, synchronised, negotiated on many levels and in many cases only made possible through the support of other members of the EU.
Electricity grids, fossil fuel pipelines, nuclear assemblies, geological sections, minerals, landform buildings, insulation materials, and landscape photographs are assembled in this exhibition and outline the background to the new architectural commitments of the Baltic States.
Project curators:
Jurga Daubaraitė and Jonas Žukauskas
Project contributors:
- David Grandorge and Jonathan Lovekin
- Eglė Rindzevičiūtė and Jonas Žukauskas
- Litgrid
- Elering AS
- Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas
- Klaipėdos Nafta
- Geology Service under the Ministry Environment of Republic of Lithuania
- Agata Marzecova and Maroš Krivý
- Emilija Škarnulytė
- PMscreen
- Kārlis Bērziņš, Niklāvs Paegle, Dagnija Smilga and Laila Zariņa
- Selim Halulu and Stavros Papavasiliou
- Jüri Okas
- Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid
- Raine Karp and Riina Altmäe with intervention by Johan Tali and Karli Luik (molumba)
- Oleksiy Radynsky
- Ines Weizman
- Hardijs Lediņš
Coordinator:
Vaida Stepanovaitė
Exhibition venues:
Architectural Association (AA), Gallery and Bar
36 Bedford Square
London WC1B 3ES
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Practice Space
66 Portland Place
London, W1B 1AD
Special thanks to:
Territorial Agency (John Palmesino and Ann-Sofi Rönnskog), Vanessa Norwood, Meneesha Kellay, Justė Kostikovaitė, Sandra Šlepikaitė, Gailė Pranckūnaitė, Marek Voida, Marija Olšauskaitė and all the project contributors.
Produced by: Architecture Fund, 2018
Kindly supported by: The Lithuanian Council for Culture and Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, The Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Real Is Beautiful – Lithuanian Tourism Board, Finnfoam
In 2018 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are celebrating their Independence Centennial.
