PALEKH PARK
«Palekh Park» — a cultural and creative space on the grounds of a former linen mill in the village of Palekh, Ivanovo Oblast. The enterprise ceased operations in the 1990s, and the historic industrial territory is gradually developing into a venue for art and cultural projects.Studio 16 has been allocated for work.The unique aspect of this location is that the viewer cannot enter the room. They observe the installation from the outside, peeking inside through an accessible opening. This constraint becomes part of the artistic concept: the space is perceived as a hidden world—one that can be seen but not physically accessed.
Paleh miniature is a traditional Russian decorative art form renowned for its delicate painting, elongated silhouettes, intricate ornamentation, and golden details set against a black background. In this art, natural elements often take on a fairy-tale quality, with clouds, trees, and architecture becoming part of a unified decorative world. In our installation, we reinterpret this artistic language through volume, light, and reflection.
INSTALLATION CONCEPT
A fragment of Palekh miniature is projected onto three walls of the space, and the depicted clouds break free from the plane, transforming into suspended three-dimensional objects. The luminous clouds, fiber optic threads, and reflective floor create the sensation that the viewer is inside a living miniature.
Selected miniature
OBJECTIVES:
— Transform the image into a space.
— Create an artistic installation that reveals the Palekh miniature through volume, light, and reflection, while remaining accessible for external viewing.
— Preserve the cultural code.
— Create volume.
— Utilize characteristic motifs and color.
— Convert the depicted Palekh contrasts and decorative elements into suspended three-dimensional objects.
— Explore the possibilities of light.
— Generate an effect of depth.
— Develop three lighting scenarios with different moods for the visual extension of the space.
Every sky has its own reflection
Palekh miniature is an entire world contained within a flat surface. A fragment of a miniature is transferred onto the three walls of the former linen factory. The painted clouds break the plane and transform into three-dimensional, internally illuminated suspended objects. Fiber optic strands descend from the black ceiling, reminiscent of sunbeams penetrating through the clouds. A reflective metallic surface, resembling water, is placed below. It replicates the forms of the clouds and decorative elements, creating the illusion of a second space. The black ceiling conceals technical elements and enhances the visual depth. The viewer remains outside the space, able only to peer in—as if discovering a hidden fairytale world within the structure of the old industrial building.
MUDBOARD
SHAPE EXPLORATION
Sketch 1, Sketch 2
Final Sketch
FINAL MOCKUP
SKETCHES
