Today marks the opening of world-renowned architect, Santiago Calatrava’s unprecedented exhibition at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Not only will Calatrava become the first contemporary architect to have a retrospective exhibition at the Hermitage, but this will also be one of his largest and most extensive exhibitions to date. Curated by Cristina Carillo de Albornoz and Ksenia Malich, the exhibition will examine Calatrava’s innovative style through his various artistic realms. From never-before-seen paintings and sculptures to celebrated architectural models and sketches spanning Calatrava’s 30- plus year career, the exhibition will give individuals a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings and creative process of this celebrated artist. More images and information on the event after the break.
“In St. Petersburg, the city of bridges, we cannot imagine a finer start to the architectural exhibitions cycle within the Hermitage 20/21 project,” said Dr. Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage Museum. The goal of the 20/21 project is to collect, study and exhibit art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Not only will The Quest for Movement be one of Calatrava’s largest exhibitions, but it will also be among his most extensive. The museum will dedicate its prestigious Nikolaevsky Halls – the most magnificent rooms within the Winter Palace – in order to show Calatrava’s extraordinary versatility as an architect, engineer, sculptor and painter; as well as to demonstrate how these different facets of his work intertwine.
“The Hermitage is one of the world’s most important museums, so it is an enormous honor that they have chosen my work as the subject for their first exhibition on contemporary architecture,” said Santiago Calatrava. “I have a true admiration for not only the collections in the Hermitage, but for the country of Russia itself. Throughout history, Russia has made an enormous contribution to the arts and it is a privilege to be able to exhibit the different aspects of my work and the interrelations between them in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg.”
Calatrava’s fascination with the study of movement goes back to his beginnings and, as indicated by the exhibition’s title, will play a vital role in this monumental installation. For Calatrava, architecture has the potential to display movement and can be integrated in order to deliver astonishing results. Calatrava has tested this theory on several of his projects including the internationally acclaimed Milwaukee Art Museum, whose breathtaking Brise Soleil was declared the “Best Design of 2001” by Time Magazine. During the exhibition the architect’s passion for movement will be reflected through a selection of his kinetic sculptures, architectural models, drawings and a vast installation with four giant projections.
“Santiago Calatrava: The Quest for Movement” will be on view at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg until Sunday, September 30, 2012.
