This weekend is the last chance for art-lovers in Russia’s northern capital to catch the Lexus Hybrid Art Exhibition. Housed in the newly renovated St. Petersburg Manege, the show invites visitors to explore the future through a “social sculpture” created by Canadian designer, artist and writer Douglas Coupland.
“Lexus Hybrid Art is about looking for ways to express change and one of the most interesting ways is to present the open equation of how to build the future,” said Marcello Dantas, the curator of the exhibition, in an interview with The Moscow Times. “That is a fundamental question of our daily personal life and the result of this equation is the condition we all live in.”
Coupland’s exhibition, “Anticipation. Assembling the Future,” combines pop-culture with postdramatic theater. Visitors are invited to create “the cityscape of the future” by interacting with actors wearing themed costumes who give out instructions on the actions visitors should take: from dancing to building with blocks.
“In the end I want people to come to the Manege and rethink the way we can collectively build groups and cities and new forms,” said Coupland in a statement on the Lexus Hybrid website.
Considered one of the engineers of the digital revolution, Coupland authored the cult novel “Generation X” and often examines mass culture and the future of the digital world in his work. “He’s one of the most amazing artists in the contemporary world," said Elena Salakhetdinova, the Lexus marketing and product training manager.
It is significant that the exhibition, which has previously been held in Moscow, is now at home in St.Petersburg. “It’s a city of revolutions in art, mind and innovation; but at the same time it's a city that has preserved tradition,” said Dantas.
Now in its sixth year, Lexus Hybrid Art has gained a reputation as one of Russia’s most innovative art events. The project is championed by Lexus, who are the first company to use hybrid technology in the worldwide car market.
“Anticipation. Assembling the future” runs through October 25 at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall, St. Isaac’s Square, 1 St Petersburg. Metro Admiralteyskaya. hybridart.ru
