[An]atomic industrial

2018

[An]atomic Industrial can be regarded as a distinctive sculptural landscape that attempts to combine the corporeal and industrial aspects. The idea of the work was inspired by the new cities built in the 1960s and 1970s, where a large industrial object became the axis of their existence. For example, Visaginas, Elektrėnai, and Pripyat (an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, founded in 1970 to house the staff of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant).

In theory, this type of city should function as a single organism – everything that happens in it happens for a reason, for a common purpose. As a result, the infrastructure of such cities was based on pure functionality, characterised by strict layouts. Visually, the anatomical body (whether zoomorphic or anthropomorphic) is the absolute opposite of the industrial structure. However, in theory, everything in the body is also functional and well-organised – what is not functional will eventually die out through evolution. So, from this perspective, there is some commonality between anatomy and industry. Another interesting aspect was that the city is often personified in everyday language: “The city is dying”, “the city is growing”, etc.

Another important aspect is quite personal. As a person who lives in a certain place, I am worried about the Astravas Nuclear Power Plant near Vilnius, so this anxiety is also reflected in the sculpture – it has shapes reminiscent of the NPP steam cooling towers.

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