russian communal living project - january '11

whilst on foundation we were asked to complete an observations project - 40 observations using different media of one specific object. i chose a 1980's Russian Lomo Lubitel 166 Medium Format camera. whilst i found this recording part interesting, i wanted to take the project in a new direction. i researched the history behind the camera, specifically its production in Leningrad, the political state of the country and was drawn towards the communal living situation, or the 'kummunulka's'.


i discovered the amount of space allotted to an adult was 10 square metres, and a child only 5 square metres. families lived in confined, communal apartments.
as an experiment, i covered my kitchen floor with paper equal to the amount of space allowed to one person. before entering the kitchen, there was a piece of paper with crushed charcoal on. every day i replaced the crushed charcoal; this resulted in 'the kitchen' - a full week captured in the marks made by those walking in and around the kitchen.
(sheet placed outside kitchen)

'the kitchen'


i used the experience of archiving i gained from my previous project, and created an installation based on the research i collated on the russian communal apartments, the 'kommunulkas'.