‘it is forbidden to continue business as usual’ – strelka
MoscowThe main school of architecture in , the strelka institute for media, architecture and design, stands in solidarity with ukraine by suspending all its activities for an indefinite period. the announcement was made on the school’s social media accounts on February 28, 2022, four days after russia declared its “special military operation” in ukraine:
‘the strelka institute for media, architecture and design suspends all work and programs indefinitely.
we consider it unacceptable to continue business as usual in the current situation while lives in ukraine are being lost.
Since its founding, the institute’s work has focused on researching cities and developing ideas for a planetary future. while this mission remains essential, for a productive conversation about the future, there needs to be peace.
establishing dialogue and the cessation of hostilities in ukraine is the most important objective at the moment.
the strelka institute stands in solidarity with all those who plead for an immediate end to this armed conflict.’
images courtesy of strelka institute
benjamin bratton, design theorist and director of the strelka program, responded to the statement via twitter, calling russia’s invasion of ukraine “horrible” and “unacceptable”:
It is with sadness and determination that we announce the suspension of The Terraforming program at the Strelka Institute.
The current situation is horrible, demoralizing and unacceptable.
Our program is drawn from more than 20 countries.
—Benjamin Bratton (@bratton) February 28, 2022
the strelka institute was founded in moscow in 2009 by entrepreneur and philanthropist alexander mamut, with a mission to change the physical and cultural landscapes of russian cities. the non-profit school has since risen to prominence through its alternative education program designed in part by rem koolhaas (AMO/OMA).
decision to halt all work and programs joins a growing chorus of architects and designers who pledged to stop work in russia to protest the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. the the artists and curator of the russian pavilion have also pulled out of the 2022 venice art biennalecondemning the actions of the Russian government as “simply intolerable”.
see also: 350 paper airplanes at the guggenheim museum call for a no-fly zone in ukraine
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