How to Steal a Country – Public Lecture

How to Steal a Country — Russian Edition: Invasion of Ukraine

Architecture is an instrument of power. In its research-based debut exhibition, entitled ‘How to Steal a Country’, the Vertical Geopolitics Lab details how Russia has instrumentalized architecture to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty from 2014 to its ongoing full-scale invasion. This project decodes, deconstructs, and analyzes various case studies of buildings and infrastructures — innocuous built objects of the everyday — with nevertheless enormous implications. These objects, deployed by the Russian government as displayed in this exhibition, appear to be neither diplomatic nor military in function, which has rendered their use plausibly deniable, often helping them evade detection as potential threats.

This exhibition transforms the gallery into scenes from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Scale- and life-size dioramas, vignettes, and tableaus create an immersive experience, revealing the key role architecture plays in the ongoing sovereignty dispute. Based on open-source investigation, the exhibition critically highlights humanitarian aid operations, bank branches, internet and telephone facilities, as well as child boarding and care facilities as theatrical prop-like objects akin to those deployed by Russia to stage ‘facts on the ground’ in Ukraine. Employing techniques from scenic theatrical set model-making, key scenes from the invasion establish sovereignty as a performative concept dependent on an audience.

19 Jul, 11:00h
Public Lecture
3553 Gallery
35-53 Emma St
Collingwood, VIC 3066

Exhibition remains open on these dates: