Existing Worlds: creative experiments in the largest park in Europe

In the art world, Nikolay Polissky is a fierce innovator.

Polissky was a Soviet artist who coined the idea of “entering the landscape”. If Paris is a playground for artists, then Nikola Lenivets is their classroom. 

Nikola Lenivets is the brainchild of Polissky and the largest art park in Europe. It’s 650 hectares of land open for creative experiments. Located in Kaluga, just 200 km from Moscow, mecca-seekers are surrounded by forests, hills, and the iconic Ugra River. 

Towers woven in natural materials, sculptures methodically placed in symbolic locations, and inspired structures line this beautiful wooded area. These buildings are a liminal conversation on the artistic spirit. Art transcends all boundaries.

Visitors of Nikola Lenivets enter a spiritual conversation with the land. Everyone leaves the space with something different. Is it commentary on human strength? Is it a plea to use earthly power to preserve what is good?

Text by Katherine Leung