Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974)

The architecture of the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 1930s made a fundamental contribution to the emergence of modernism at the beginning of the 20th century, comparable to what Brazilian modernism after World War II did for the architecture of the 1960s. An important institution in the young Soviet Union was the avant-garde art workshop Vkhutemas, newly founded at the time – also known as the Russian Bauhaus.

In the search for an architecture, an appropriate formal language that not only "accommodates" the new society but "also represents its reality" (Hanna Ahrendt), it united the movement's most important players. This group maintained close ties with Europe, including Switzerland. For example, the joint project of El Lissitzky's Cloud Iron, together with Emil Roth and Mart Stam, on the occasion of El Lissitzky's spa stay in 1925.

The models were created by students of the AAM Mendrisio under the direction of Pavel Kuznetsov, executed in scales of 1:50:/75:100;500. They are concise and have an immediate, fascinating appeal. Existing redrawings complement the photo pages, and short captions classify the projects. This publication, published by Lars Müller Verlag, takes a fresh, new look at artistic creation in the former Soviet Union, an era full of hope and contradictions. Konstantin Melnikov is a key figure in this movement. Many of his projects from the 1920s were realized and are icons of modernism.

Opening: October 17, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

Speakers: Marianne Burkhalter, Pavel Kuznetsnov, Christian Sumi