Polina Medvedeva and Andreas Kühne – The Informals / Неформалы

The Informals / Неформалы is a part-autobiographical work and a universal statement on the notions of decentralisation, collectivism, and non-conformist ways of living in the digital age. The artists research improvisational techniques within the medium of documentary, and their methodology resembles the patterns of the ‘digital natives’ of Murmansk, Russia. In order to escape the norms and social constructs of the North of Russia, young people in Murmansk gravitate to deserted spaces in their area, where they collectively improvise with space, adding a new layer to its genealogy. Medvedeva and Kühne travelled back to the former military zone where Medvedeva was born and through documentation and field improvisation – much like the youths of the Murmansk region – temporarily transferred it to the present. The data they have collected is divided into elements and prepared for live triggering and processing. It resembles an audiovisual instrument which, when played by the artist duo, produces new unscripted versions with each live performance. The European premiere of The Informals / Неформалы was presented at Paradiso, Amsterdam, as part of Sonic Acts Festival 2019.

Polina Medvedeva and Andreas Kühne, The Informals / Неформалы, at Sonic Acts Festival 2019, Paradiso

Interview with Polina Medvedeva and Andreas Kühne

Commissioned by Sonic Acts and Inversia Festival, Murmansk, part of Re-Imagine Europe, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Polina Medvedeva is a Russian-Dutch filmmaker and artist based in Amsterdam. Her work researches the notion of informality, focusing on informal economies and non-conformist communal structures. Medvedeva’s works have been exhibited at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, WIELS Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels, Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem, Rotterdam City Theatre, Art Brussels, and screened during IDFA Docs for Sale and on VPRO, among others. She was a guest lecturer at the Public School for Architecture Brussels, Sandberg Institute Amsterdam, ArtEZ Zwolle and is a tutor and lecturer at the Utrecht School of the Arts. www.polinamedvedeva.net Andreas Kühne is a Dutch drummer, instant composer and sound artist researching free improvisation in relation to radical digital culture and exploring the value of intuition, non-conformism and self-sufficiency through field improvisation and collaborations in film, design and fashion. Currently finishing his master’s degree in music at ArtEZ, Kühne is part of several audiovisual duos and experimental bands and is the founder and curator of the interdisciplinary concert series RAMSES/MPRO in Amsterdam. Recently, he performed at Overkill Festival, State of Fashion Exhibition in Arnhem, inJazz Festival, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ and at the Dutch National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam. Andreas is artist-in-residence at Splendor collective and Ramses Shaffy Huis and teaches drums at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. www.andreaskuhne.net Presentations Inversia Festival 9 February 2019 Murmansk, Russia www.inversiafest.com European Premiere Sonic Acts Festival 2019 23 February 2019 Paradiso Amsterdam www.sonicacts.com A4 – Space for Contemporary Culture 28 June 2019 Bratislava, Slovakia a4.sk Lofoten International Art Festival (LIAF) 28 September 2019 Svolvær, Norway liaf.no Viral Open Session Lighthouse 27 November 2019 Brighton, United Kingdom www.lighthouse.org.uk