‘People are surviving however they can’: l' Russia’s most audacious cultural project in recent years, GES-2, opened in Moscow last December. On February 24, its future was forever altered.

Six months ago, GES-2, an arts and culture center housed in a decommissioned Moscow power station, opened on Moscow's Bolotnaya Embankment. It was the brainchild of Leonid Mikhelson, one of Russia's richest businessmen, and was initially headed by Italian curator Teresa Iarocci Mavica. The building, which was originally built in 1907, was reconstructed by influential architect Renzo Piano. In December 2021, after seven years of design and construction work followed by a private showing for Vladimir Putin, the center was officially opened to the public. GES-2 instantly became the center of Moscow's cultural life -- until Russia launched its war in Ukraine. Cut off from the West, the institution found itself in isolation, while its philosophy suddenly appeared incompatible with Russia's new reality. The staff, from curators to executives, began to resign. Ksenia Korobeynikova, an art critic and author of the Ku-ku Telegram channel, spoke to Meduza about the center's uncertain prospects. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2022/06/02/ges-2-russia-s-most-audacious-cultural-project-in-recent-years-opened-in-moscow-last-december-on-february-24-its-future-was-forever-altered