Liverpool Biennial: Interior, Masha Godovannya

Calvert 22 presents Interior, an ambitious multimedia installation by Masha Godovannaya that will be shown as part of Liverpool Biennial 2012’s City States platform.

Representing the city of St Petersburg, Interior explores the idea of multiple and infinite worlds within human existence, whilst investigating the notion of hidden hospitality in a public space. Footage of tower block stairwells of the so-called ‘khrushchevkas’, austere concrete low-rise apartment buildings constructed during the Khrushchev Era, forms the visual part of the installation. Alternating shots of closed doors, different in appearance, but identical in their functionality, hide communal spaces filled with life and drama, hinting at the recent political events in Russia. Ambient sounds, audio elements of found-footage, field recordings and fragments of dialogue draw us within the real or fictional realms behind each door. We remain in suspense compelled to link the concealed audio-spheres to the rhythms of the image.

Curated by Dominik Czechowski

City States brings together 40 artists from seven countries, exploring the dynamics between cities and states with new and existing works. The exhibitions in City States 2012 have been invited to respond to the theme of hospitality, to bring forth new understandings of hospitality for our increasingly globalised and complex times. It will present work from cities including Copenhagen, Gdansk, Hong Kong, Incheon, Lisbon, Makhachkala, Oslo, Reykjavik, and Vilnius.