The black and silver diplomatic case “Diplomat” is the materialised micro-diplomacy of Natalia Peredvigina and Kirill Agafonov.”Diplomat”, a Soviet cult object from the 1980s, manufactured in a production facility on the territory of today’s Ukraine, sleeps brand-new and unused in a warehouse for 40 years and finally appears in 2022 in a Russian buying exchange on the Internet, is discovered by Kirill Agafonov and finds its true purpose as the diplomatic suitcase of “Embassy of Microterritories”.
The suitcase opens, Natalia Peredvigina’s handmade filigree objects made from found materials, plant parts and waste are territories of the imagination and provide an introduction to the dialogue. Natalia Peredvigina and Kirill Agafonov question their counterparts about their personal territories and inner compass. In a time of irritation, upheaval, disorientation and depression, every certainty is thrown off balance.
Natalia Peredvigina and Kirill Agafonov were artists in residence at the message salon embassy in summer 2019 and showed the exhibition “Erde der Langstrasse” under the name “Gorod Ustinov” at Kunstraum die Diele. The joint ten-year project “Gorod Ustinov” was dissolved by the two artists after the start of the war. The crisis is latent and threatening, permeating all areas of life – artistic, private, social and political.
message salon embassy is publishing one fanzine each with Natalia Peredvigina and Kirill Agafonov, both publications will be presented on Saturday, 10 September at the message salon embassy reception on Köchlistrasse in the presence of “Diplomat”.
The “Embassy of Microterritories” office is located in the 25hours Hotel Langstrasse until 13 September and is open daily.
With the support of the City of Zurich Culture and 25hours Hotel Langstrasse Zurich