INSTALLATION VIEWS

Leningrad, 2013
Installation composed of 14 elements:


Leningrad, 2013
Installation composée of 14 éléments.
On July 29, 2012 Gregory Buchakjian and Valérie Cachard visited plot 335, a French Mandate period (1920s-1930s) apartment building, that was abandoned after shelling in 1989. In the devastated flat of the third floor, they found and extracted written (handwritten, typewritten and printed) and photographic (postcards, slides) documents that were lying on the ground among rubble.

The Leningrad installation is based on these archives. Presented in the Pellicula exhibition (Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut, 2013), it is the first public intervention part of the Abandoned Dwellings in Beirut project. The central element is a text typewritten on a vintage 1980s typewriter. This text is based on information provided by papers found that day. It attempts to establish facts that took place in Beirut during the second half of the 20th century. The other components of the installation are reproductions of postcards and slides from Leningrad that were also found there.

Components of Leningrad:

- Text narrating events that took place during the second half of the 20th century, based on archive material found in the rubble of a Beirut apartment. Typewritten on mid 1970s / early 1980s Canson 90g tracing paper. Dimensions: 21 x 34.5 cm approx.
- Reproductions of 6 postcards depicting painted interior views (by various artists) of the Hermitage Museum, Leningrad, USSR; published by Aurora Editions (Leningrad) found in the rubble of a Beirut apartment, 10.5 x 14.5 cm approx. (image); 15 x 20 cm (paper)
- Reproductions of 2 postcards depicting wilderness in the USSR; published by [name unreadable] (Moscow, 1972); found in the rubble of a Beirut apartment, 9 x 14 cm (image); 15 x 20 cm (paper)
- Reproduction of 5 stereo slides depicting sights of Leningrad, USSR; published by APN (Leningrad); found in the rubble of a Beirut apartment. 5 x 10,2 cm (cardboards); 10 x 15 (paper) 

Leningrad exposes touristic views of the city in what was once the USSR and narrates events that took place during the second half of the 20th century, based on archive material found in the rubble of a Beirut apartment.


Leningrad présente des vues touristiques de la ville qui fit partie de l’URSS et relate des évènements qui se sont déroulés durant la seconde moitié du XXe siècle, sur la base d’archives découvertes dans les ruines d’un appartement.

Présentée dans le cadre de l’exposition Pellicula, (Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beyrouth, 2013), Leningrad est la première intervention publique du projet des habitats abandonnés. Son élément central est un texte dactylographié qui, à partir de documents découverts dans un appartement abandonné, tente de reconstituer des faits. Les autres éléments sont les reproductions de cartes postales et de diapositives provenant de Leningrad, et qui se trouvaient in situ. 


- Texte relatant des événements ayant eu lieu durant la deuxième moitié du XXe siècle, basé sur des documents trouvés dans les décombres d’un appartement beyrouthin ; dactylographié sur du papier calque Canson 90g des années 1970. Dimensions : 21 x 34.5 cm.
- Reproductions de six cartes postales donnant à voir des vues peintes (par différents artistes) d’intérieurs du musée de l’Hermitage, Leningrad, URSS, publiées par Aurora Editions (Leningrad) ; trouvées dans les décombres d’un appartement beyrouthin. Dimensions : 10.5 x 14.5 cm (images) ; 15 x 20 cm (feuillets).
- Reproductions de deux cartes postales de paysages en URSS, publiées par [illisible], (Moscou, 1972) ; trouvées dans les décombres d’un appartement beyrouthin. Dimensions : 9 x 14.cm (images) ; 15 x 20 cm (feuillets).
- Reproduction de cinq diapositives stéréoscopiques de vues de Leningrad, URSS publiées par APN (Leningrad) trouvées dans les décombres d’un appartement beyrouthin. Dimensions : 5 x 10,2 cm. (images) ; 15 x 20 cm (feuillets).

©gregory buchakjian. all rights reserved
exhibitions

- Sursock Museum Library, in parallel with Abandoned Dwellings Display of Systems, 2018. website

- Pellicula, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut, 2013
>> Download Pellicula Exhibition brochure (PDF)


selected articles

- Ari Akermans, The Mantle, 26'08'2013
Aline Gemayel, L'Orient Le Jour, 26'04'2013
India Stoughton, The Daily Star, 24'04'2013

related projects

- Agenda 1979
- Abandoned Dwellings. Archive
- Abandoned Dwellings. Facts/BF1787
- Abandoned Dwellings. Restitution/BF1787