V-A-C Foundation plans to transform a Moscow power station into a major art venue

Moscow’s V-A-C Foundation, dedicated to the development of Russian contemporary art, has announced plans to convert a former electric power station into a major new cultural destination.

V-A-C will work together with leading Paris-based architecture firm the Renzo Piano Building Workshop to develop the GES2 complex. Heading up the initiative is Teresa Iarocci Mavica, who has been keen to stress that the new venue will be much more than a museum.

“I find the term a bit narrow. What we are creating is bigger than a museum. [...] I use the word ‘plaza’ or ‘square’ — it’s a place where everything is happening simultaneously, a place where different interests overlap,” she says.

Plans for the power station, which is situated on Bolotny Island, include a small theatre, library, lecture halls, artists’ workshops and performance spaces. While the Foundation does not foresee a permanent collection, GES2 will house several exhibition spaces and adaptable galleries, and will likely host artist residencies. V-A-C also aims to continue its exceptionally popular curatorial summer schools.

V-A-C will combine a very modern vision for the space with the key architectural features (as well as the name) of the building. The design is sure to be innovative — Renzo Piano, was, after all, the firm behind the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Source: The Moscow Times