Lilia
Voronkova
graduated
sociology department in 2003 with “Distinction”;
at the same time she had been working as an interviewer
and young researcher at independent research institute
- Center for independent social research (CISR). She was
offered a PhD position at her department however at that
time she has chosen to break with the academic career
of sociologist – because of some relevant methodological
reasons.
Gradually
she realized that a lot of projects, that really are interesting
and contain a lot of socially useful and meaningful information,
end up as boring final reports or the results are presented
in equally scientific publications that nobody but scholars
ever read. More she learned about social sciences –
clearer she realized that social sciences do not use their
potential and ignore the variety of the means that would
allow telling publics about social life in a comprehensible
manner.
As
a result of this disappointment Lilia decided to elaborate
and apply a new approach in social sciences: Lilia attempted
to combine social sciences and arts. She began studying
about visual “accompaniment” of anthropological
and sociological projects. And it has to be admited, that
in some sense her personal experience reflects the tendencies
one can identify in 20th century: movement towards each
other and increase of the pubic responsibility in both
- social sciences and arts.
Lilia
started learning photography and in parallel she continued
sociological investigations. Being a researcher at CISR
she has realized several research projects where she investigated
the art and cultural life in St.-Petersburg and had got
a possibility to acquaint herself with the art sphere
in Helsinki and Manchester. While participating in all
these projects Lilia learned a lot about the activities
of the art and cultural sphere in St.-Petersburg. Lilia
started doing photo reportages and illustrating with photographs
field work and findings of research projects. Of course,
she had to go through the problems always related to the
interdisciplinary approach: to prove necessity of the
collaboration between disciplines and different spheres
of knowledge and craft - for their mutual benefits, as
well as for the advantage of the publics; to withstand
critics from both “border” fields, and to
demonstrate her own skills in both - photography and social
science.
2006
year was a turning point in her professional career. She
got a position of photographer and photo exhibition curator
in the big international project “Re-imaging of
public space in European cities and its role in social
and ethno-cultural integration” with perspectives
to organize an exhibition in 2008 in St.-Petersburg. In
the same year she had got an opportunity to spend some
time in Berlin – as an assistant in the research
project “Street economy and its participants in
St.-Petersburg and Berlin (comparative case study of flea
markets)“. Here, in the “alternative capital
of Europe” Lilia not just breathed the artistic
air of the city and enjoyed its creative atmosphere; she
was also very productive: co-authored several texts on
the phenomenon of nostalgia, established relations with
German artists and gallery owners, prepared her first
solo exhibition. It would be, of course, impossible without
emotional and practical support by amazing Berlin people,
who encouraged Lilia in her activities.
Therefore, it was a happy coincidence - of the two mentioned
research projects, unique atmosphere of Berlin and its
creative people, as well as Lilia’s own energy and
interest - that leaded to publishing several of Lilia’s
photographs in the “Encyclopedia of N/Ostalgia”
and to her own first exhibition, where she presents herself
as an anthropologist and artists. In 2008 she will have
an opportunity to apply her skills of the exhibition curator.
The
exhibition “The window into a city’s soul.
Berlin and Petersburg through the prism of flea markets”
provides to Berlin audience an opportunity to see and
estimate Lilia Voronkova’s attempt to bring together
art and social science, city spaces and its inhabitants,
people and objects, St.-Petersburg and Berlin, Russia
and Germany.
more
information about this exhibition
Flohmarkt
Berlin -San Petersburgo
The
window into a city’s soul. Berlin and Petersburg
through the prism of flea markets
Vernissage:
saturday, 3rd of November 2007
19:00
presentation of the exhibition by the sociologist and
photographer Lilia Voronkova.
19:30
concert with the Blus - Guitar Player "Sorik"
- who was invited to Berlin from the russian-mongolian
border (East Siberia) - playing his own compositions
20:30
russian party and food
opening
hours of the exhibition
03/11/07
- 30/11/07
Monday
16:00 - 21:00
Friday 19:00 - 22:00
Sunday 17:00 - 21:00
Big
Finissage of the exhibition with Nachtflohmarkt,
friday 3rd of November 2007
from 19:00, with Crepes, hot chocolate, tea with jam and
Glühwein
INTRANSITos
Boddinstrasse
6 Berlin 12053
U7 Rathaus Neukölln.
The
exhibition will open saturday the 3rd of November in the
framework of the art and culture festival nachtundnebel.
