From February 8 to February 28, 2021, the HSE ART GALLERY hosted an exhibition of soundscapes creating fantastical worlds, featuring Laaskar residents among participants and curators.‍

Sound researcher Salome Voegelin introduces the concept of "sonic fiction" to describe these imaginative universes that can become reality. Artists used a multi-channel audio system for an immersive experience, allowing visitors to navigate their own paths through the soundscape, diving into apocalyptic or utopian worlds, experiencing the Noah's Ark filled with bird calls, or listening to an audio interpretation of the ancient Greek myth of Proteus. Some pieces explored personal themes like ritual actions and Tinder dating.

‍
Co-curator Andriesh Gandrabur aimed to craft a universe with its own laws and physics for visitors to experience with eyes open or closed, emphasizing sound's ability to transcend language, ideology, and social barriers, directly accessing consciousness. This sonic dimension does not replace visual perception but expands experience, revealing what lies beyond sight.

‍Laaskar residents Roman Zharov and Eva Reicher presented their unique takes on dystopia and apocalypse. Zharov, collaborating with sound artist Alexander Filatov, crafted a universe where humans, bogged down by present woes, have stopped dreaming of utopias, leading to a future trapped in a nostalgic, escapist loop. Their work narrates an attempt to break free from this cycle, venturing into a fantasized future.

Eva Reicher explored popular end-of-the-world theories across four scenarios: the Yellowstone caldera eruption, a pandemic, World War III, and a machine uprising. Her work reflects not just on destruction but also on the regeneration and rebirth of these worlds, subtly weaving in references to our reality and suggesting that apocalypse could herald the birth of something new and beautiful by dismantling the old order.

Curation
Andriesh Gandrabur
‍‍Olga Zubova‍
‍Stanislav Sharifullin
‍
Artists
Roman Zharov
Alexandr Filatov
Eva Reicher
Anastasia Zyryanova
Pavel Milyakov
Vlad Dobrovolsky
Lisokot
PerilaMaria Karpovich
Anna Mochkina
Sofiya Afanasyeva
Nikita Proshkin
Vasilisa Hmyzova


Technical work
Grigory Shimdtko
‍‍Timofey Kaygorodov