Towards a Concrete Utopia

After the Tito-Stalin split in 1948, former Yugoslavia was expelled from the Soviet Union and left to govern itself, as it had become largely independent post-WWII. This gives the context for Towards a Concrete Utopia, an art exhibit containing sketches, drawings, photos and models of Yugoslav architecture from 1948 to 1992. Much Yugoslav architecture had been inspired by the brutalism and soviet aesthetics as well as the need for space efficient housing. Elements of futurist/modernist design can are incorporated while the building still serves a utilitarian purpose. This is how much architecture in socialist countries differed from that of capitalist countries: structures were typically more efficient as their design was based on need rather than making something seem luxurious.

I chose this exhibit for my write up because my Grandparents immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union. Although they came from Ukraine and not Yugoslavia, I still feel it interests me because the exhibit shows the Yugoslav adaptation of an aesthetic shared by a large part of Eastern Europe. I very much enjoy the the idea of utilitarianism in architecture on grounds of sustainability and believe efficient and comfortable housing should be universally available.

My personal opinion: I admire every piece in this exhibit because infrastructure is crucial to the functioning of any community and every artist included has contributed to that. I love brutalist architecture and enjoy that Yugoslavia created their own brand of it. As the Soviet Union was extremely ethnically diverse, it is inevitable that variations of a style would arise.