In my work, the game board is a stylized map of the «Zakamsk» microdistrict in Perm, depicted as a game, featuring the daily routes I take. The form of the board itself adheres to the game concept—it is composed of pieces that can be assembled like a puzzle, allowing the viewer to piece together a complete picture of the problem.
Route rebuilt 2025 103.5×70
MDF/acrylic/colored pencils/sheet metal
During my walks and observations, I felt an irresistible urge to take a shortcut, but I repeatedly had to go around the iron boundaries. I realized that I was focusing on the fence itself, while what was behind it remained blurred and inaccessible. It turned out that fences break established pathways and impose a route, dividing the city and its inhabitants who are trying to shield themselves from the outside world.
In this work, I experiment with visual metaphors: I blur what is beyond the fence, as if it were hidden content, and overlay the image of a castle on top. This technique alludes to the blurred «not for everyone» trope familiar from paid subscriptions.
Imagined short paths through restricted areas led me to the idea of a board game, reminiscent of «snakes and ladders,» where arrows allow players to skip several turns and reach the finish line faster. However, in real life, such access is closed off and only available to those who possess the key to the gate.
There are no conventional blocks, figurines, or printed rules here. I wanted to create an artifact from the world of «paper architecture» that holds a statement about the phenomenon of fences.