Sunday 4 December 2011

Tatlin's Tower

Pop in to see the Large Model of The Monument, to the Third International otherwise known as Tatlin's Tower, in the courtyard of The Royal Academy of Arts. It is exhibited there as part of the Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935 exhibition.



This model represents a small scale example of a work of architecture envisaged by Vladimir Tatlin but never completed. It is an incredible work of fantasy expressing the avant-garde context in which it was created. It comprises an intertwined metal framework with three rotating geometric forms, the lowest one being a cube which would have been used for a variety of events and would have completed a single rotation over the period of a year.


This structure would probabaly have been for all intents and purposes unbuildable as well as totally impractical but the opportunity to see the model at least gives us a framework with which to imagine how incredible it would have looked! Especially when you consider that it would have been 400 metres tall making it over twice the height of the Gherkin in London!

As the Tower is in the courtyard of the Royal Academy it is open to the public for free and is worth having a nosy at.

Also bear in mind that the Degas Exhibition ends on the 11th, if you want to go and see this exhibition it might be worth booking as the show has been very popular!

For a review of the Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935 exhibition visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/oct/30/soviet-architecture-royal-academy-review?INTCMP=SRCH

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