Tatjana Gorbachewskaja – Nikel Materiality

Free admission On Sunday 29 November the presentation will be in Russian. Nikel Materiality by Tatjana Gorbachewskaja in collaboration with Katya Larina seeks to explore Nikel through the prism of the unique material substances that this city has created. The story of Nikel is that of a place that transformed the natural environment, seemingly no longer dependent on its geographical, geological or atmospheric attachments to the Earth. It could have been artificially and technologically built anywhere. But due to more volatile economic and political circumstances, Nikel was left without sufficient central control. The materiality of the artificial organism of the city started to interact directly with the natural conditions of the unique Arctic climate and ecosystem. Nikel’s artificial materiality was forced to adapt to survive. Tatjana Gorbachewskaja and Katya Larina illustrate this idea through thematic maps and catalogues of artefacts that emerged from Nikel’s symbiosis between the natural environment and alienated materials created by human culture. As part of the project the series of maps and artefacts will be published on an online platform. During the second Dark Ecology Journey Gorbachewskaja and Larina present their research in the form of a talk and a conceptual walking tour through the city of Nikel. The presentation and walking tour are public events open to residents of Nikel, the participants of the Dark Ecology conference and others. Nikel Materiality map, page 1 Nikel Materiality map, page 2 Thanks to the Childrens' Art School in Nikel for providing work space.