In 2017, InLiberty, a Russian non-governmental public policy think-tank dedicated to promoting values of freedom and individual liberties, came up with an unusual collective memory project called 7 Dates: a proposal of seven alternative holidays for Russia that commemorated specific moments in history when Russian society chose freedom over tyranny, autocracy, or violence.
Later that year, in collaboration with MARCH Architecture School, Inliberty held a week-long workshop New Monuments for the New History. Seven groups, each curated by a celebrity expert (architects, artists, composers, journalists, etc.) were tasked to create a monument to their chosen date from the set.
JANUARY 29, 1992
The Day When Commerce Went Free
Headed by a renowned Russian artist, Irina Korina, our group was creating a monument dedicated to the freedom of commerce.
Our monument is an annex to a shopping mall. First, a visitor needs to climb quite a long, uneasy stairway. Then, at the top, there’s a large window with a view to the shopping mall’s interior with all its abundance. Right by the window, there’s a text of the presidential decree proclaiming the freedom of commerce.
Creative Team
Irina Korina (curator)
Daria Alakhverdy
Andrey Babitsky
Denis Esakov
Arkady Ioselevich
Victor Lander
Maria Sakirko