Yuri Avvakumov
1957 Born in Tiraspol
1981 Graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute
1983-88 Teaches at the Moscow Architectural Institute (MARCHI)
1984 Introduces the term PAPER ARCHITECTURE to describe the genre of conceptual design in the USSR in the 1980s. Curates PAPER ARCHITECTURE exhibitions in Moscow (Yunost, 1984 / MARCHI, 1992 / Museum of Architecture, 1994); Ljubljana (SCUC, 1986), Paris (La Villette, 1988); Milan (Palazzo dell’Arte, 1988); Frankfurt (Deutsches Architekturmuseum, 1989); Cologne (Linssen, 1991); Zurich (Architekturforum, 1990); Brussels (Foundation pour l’Architecture, 1990); Cambridge (List Visual Arts Center, MIT, 1990); New Orleans (Contemporary Arts Center, 1991); Austin (Huntington Gallery, 1991); Amherst (Fine Arts Center, 1992), etc.
1993-94 Teaches at the Higher School of Design, Karlsruhe
Since 1993 UTOPIA Foundation, Moscow www.utopia.ru
2000-03 Curates 36 exhibitions of architectural photography in the PHOTOPROGRAM 24. State Museum of Architecture, Moscow / Moscow House of Photography www.24photo.ru
Personal artist’s website: avvakumov.com
Works in collections
State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
State Museum of Architecture, Moscow
German Museum of Architecture, Frankfurt
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Museum of Modern Art, Trento and Rovereto
Museum of New Art, Karlsruhe
Architectural Foundation, Brussels
State Center ROSIZO, Moscow
Zimmerli Museum, New Brunswick
MARCHI Museum, Moscow / Moscow Center for the Arts, Moscow
Krasnoyarsk Museum Center
Kaliningrad Art Gallery
Hechinger Collection, Washington
Exhibitions and auctions
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2007 GAMES. Stella Art Foundation, Moscow
2006 RED CORNER. Stella Art Gallery, Moscow
2005 LA SCALA. Krokin Gallery, Moscow
2000 VARIOUS/24. State Museum of Architecture, Moscow
1999 A.S. PUSHKIN AND MONEY. XL Gallery, Moscow
1996-2000 RUSSIAN UTOPIA. DEPOSITORY. Russian Pavilion, Venice Biennale / Netherlands Architecture Institute, Rotterdam / State Museum of Architecture, Moscow / Museum & Exhibition Center, Volgograd / State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
1994 1:43. Karlheinz Meyer Gallery, Karlsruhe
1992 NON-LIQUIDS (with Sergey Shutov). First Gallery, Moscow
TEMPORARY MONUMENTS. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg / State Museum of Architecture, Moscow
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS (2009-1990s):
Detail upon request due to length.
Critic
Moscow architect Yuri Avvakumov is the leading artistic utopist of the country. Initially, he was so involuntarily—‘paper architecture,’ of which he is considered the father, emerged in the absence of opportunities for actual building. However, even as ‘paper architects,’ the group gained fame and experienced a freedom of thought unimaginable for practicing Soviet masters. In the 90s, many members began to build real projects, but Avvakumov still prefers ideas over practice. He delves into archives and private collections, organizes historical exhibitions, and when entering competitions, his projects are inherently impossible to realize—yet this does not prevent him from winning.
More critiques are available per request due to length.
Bibliography
Architecture de Papier d’URSS. Paris: L’Exposition de la Grande Halle de La Villette. Paris, 1988.
The Paper Architecture of Russia // Special Feature, Space Design No. 4. April 1993.
Paper Architecture. Collection catalogue of Stolichny Bank. Moscow, 1993.
561 Architects in the World. Tokyo, 1995.
Avvakumov – AgitArch. World of Design. St. Petersburg, autumn 1998. No. 3 (12).
Brand, Janselijn. Architecture and Imagination. Zwolle, 1989.
Andrew Solomon. Paper Tsars // Harper's Queen (London). February 1990.
Constantin Boym. La Torre Rossa // MODO (Milan). October 1990. #126.
Michael Govan. Temporary Monuments: Ascent and Descent // World Architecture (London). 1991. #15.
Peter Cook and Neil Spiller. The Power of Contemporary Architecture. Academy Editions (London). 1999
Nikolay Malinin. Yuri Avvakumov - Art into Life // Kulisa NG (Moscow). March 17, 2000.
Zhanna Vasilieva. Keeper of Utopias // Kreativ No. 16-17 (Moscow). 2004.
Works 18
