The Embassy of Microterritories

The Embassy of Microterritories (2022 – ongoing) is a series of meetings / micro-exhibitions where artists Natalia Peredvigina and Kirill Agafonov present their works and personal “microterritories” that previously made up the Microterritory Gorod Ustinov. As well they present artifacts of other authors and "microterritories", offering the public discussion and joint artistic practice.


“In the face of a crisis at the level of big diplomacy we work at the level of interpersonal microdiplomacy. We are opening an embassy of our own and close microterritories, interacting with new microterritories of people and places we met. We propose during the meeting/exhibition to share: what does support your life and constitute the symbolic land on which you base permanently or at the moment?”


“On March 10, 2022, we packed up and flew to Uzbekistan, fearing that Russia's borders would be closed and the government would announce a general mobilization under the Martial law. We understood that our future was under threat and the results of 14 years of life could be crossed out. The «diplomat» case, produced in Ukraine in 1980, not only contained part of our artifacts, but also became a tool and a way to establish personal contact in a new environment. It also became an opportunity to represent what is important to us personally. We often took it with us to talk not about politics and the national identity imposed on us, but more about what forms own and other personal lands, not allowing them to get out from under feet.”

“Two months later, in May, we arrived in Russia and continued to practice the "Embassy". We met with friends and colleagues and gradually expanded the circle of acquaintances and confidential communication. It has become important to engage in cultural practice without excessive and inappropriate publicity. Now we are again outside of Russia and, as independent artists but together we represent the "Embassy of Microterritories", thereby stitching the world in an effort to make it whole.”



After Uzbekistan and Russian Federion the Embassy of Microterritories arrived to Switzerland:

https://messagesalon.ch/exhibition/microdiplomacy/

..then to Berlin, Stockholm and goes on.

The list of involved “microterritories” is coming soon.



 slides: (1) Raya Doroshina; (2, 3, 7) Ildar Sadikov; (4-6) Pjotr Zherebtsov