Russian pavilion: Paul Berkemeier
A digital wallpaper of backlit QR code squares.
An expose of secret technology cities developed in the postwar years.
Touch screens activate digital story portals.
Russia’s pavilion brings cold war technology to life with digital storyboards.
One of the standout national pavilions is the Russian. Downstairs an exposé of dozens of secret and highly controlled technology cities that were developed in the postwar years, while upstairs is the story of Skolkovo, a proposed international science city near Moscow.
The black box basement rooms are peppered with magnifying peepholes, each revealing an aspect of a former secret city. The galleries above are enwrapped with backlit QR code squares, each able to trigger a detailed information stream on the iPad given to visitors when they enter. The code squares form a beautiful digital wallpaper that is dense with instantly accessed information.
