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Alexander Brodsky

Moscow, Russia
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Brodsky in his studio

Alexander Savvich Brodsky is a Russian architect and sculptor, born 1955 in Moscow. He graduated 1978 from the Moscow Institute of Architecture.

After graduating, Moscow had little opportunity or creative freedom for Brodsky to practice the kind of architecture which is now known for. Consequently he began making sketches of highly expressive and utopian structures. Together with the artist Ilya Utkin, they became known as the 'Paper Architects'. These drawings allowed them to design buildings that explored constructivism, deconstructivism and postmodernism at a time when the communist environment was much more restrained. Paper architecture was a response to state sanctioned architecture that consisted of standardised and often poorly constructed buildings, which imbued their environments with a communist aesthetic. Even now, Brodsky's work can be viewed as an antithesis to the imposing 'Stalinist style' buildings that still exist in Russia today.

The 'Paper Architects' continued drawing dramatic designs and began entering them into international competitions. They received many prestigious awards and were revered in the Western world. The narratives that emerged from the etchings of Brodsky and Utkin have voiced man's alienation within the urban world. They ave also provided a commentary on the loss of Moscow's historical architectural heritage.

Through his involvement as a 'Paper Architect', Brodsky was given the chance to travel and live abroad. In 1991 he was invited to the United States by a New York gallerist, after traveling back and forth for several years he made a permanent move in 1996. It was this point that Brodsky was commissioned for some major public installation art pieces, one in New York's subway and later a piece in Pittsburgh.

Despite his hugely successful career as an artist, Brodsky began to miss both his homeland and his first professional calling. In 1999 he moved back to Moscow with the intent of setting up his architecture studio.

Since establishing his architecture practice in 2000 Brodsky has steadily been working away on built projects. Even with a twenty-year delay after graduating and only a small handful of projects to date, Brodsky has quickly established himself as a revered contemporary Russian architect. Currently his work consists of temporary structures, residential houses and restaurants.

However Brodsky never completely let go of his artistic side, he still produces installation work in tandem with his built projects.

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Moscow, Russia
  1. Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  2. Calvert Journal
    calvertjournal.com
  3. Metropolis Mag
    www.metropolismag.com
  4. Icon Eye
    www.iconeye.com
ziggurat, February 28th, 2013
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