ein Abend von Martin Vesely: in der Perspektive der Fotografie
The “garage area” is a phenomenon that can be found in almost every Soviet urban landscape. Built in the 1970s to 1990s, these areas have become a significant element in the cityscapes of the former Soviet Union. Despite a strict standardization stipulated by the building code they each have their individual design. From the moment the garages were built they were “misused”. Both the architectural form and the functions of the garages were quickly reappropriated. In the early 1990s this functional transformation only increased. The garages have become a place of refuge from everyday life. They have become artists’ studios, rehearsal rooms for musicians, places for love affairs, storage facilities, workshops, meeting places for friends, places for alcohol and drug production, trafficking and consumption. This trend can be seen as a search – mainly on the part of the male population – for a new and often last resort of private space away from the family or the state.
This photographic work documents the emergence and development of concepts of individual freedom in the Soviet system and their transformation under post-Soviet conditions.