Jürgenson Olga – Cyland Video Archive https://videoarchive.cyland.org Video Archive Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:54:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.25 The Unforgettable City Song https://videoarchive.cyland.org/video_archive/the-unforgettable-city-song/ Tue, 11 Aug 2020 22:30:34 +0000 http://videoarchive.cyland.org/?post_type=video_archive&p=11888 The footage, taken from a found karaoke video tape, amusingly recalls the endless intervals between TV programs in the Soviet era. Bright flowers, gently moving in the breeze became a nostalgic symbol of the past, which after the passage of time seems trouble-free. The soundtrack is a collage of some popular songs about Leningrad/St Petersburg.

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]]> The footage, taken from a found karaoke video tape, amusingly recalls the endless intervals between TV programs in the Soviet era. Bright flowers, gently moving in the breeze became a nostalgic symbol of the past, which after the passage of time seems trouble-free. The soundtrack is a collage of some popular songs about Leningrad/St Petersburg.

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]]> Glory to Capitalism! https://videoarchive.cyland.org/video_archive/glory-extract/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 20:02:49 +0000 http://videoarchive.cyland.org/?post_type=video_archive&p=11857 This video film is a collage, consisting of footage filmed in a modern British factory, archival material and fragments from some classical films, such as Metropolis (Fritz Lang) and The Man with the movie camera (Dziga Vertov).  The film was a part of Olga Jurgenson’s installation Go West! at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, which … Continue reading "Glory to Capitalism!"

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]]> This video film is a collage, consisting of footage filmed in a modern British factory, archival material and fragments from some classical films, such as Metropolis (Fritz Lang) and The Man with the movie camera (Dziga Vertov). 

The film was a part of Olga Jurgenson’s installation Go West! at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, which was a culmination of more than 2 years research on life and work of migrant workers from Eastern Europe by her.

Pop music in the factory environment is common. While manufacturing and food packing workers have to listen to this music, broadcast with the aim of increasing productivity; dancing, singing and eating would be inappropriate in this environment. Within the exhibition Go West! the audience was invited to sing and dance along with the karaoke video projection, whilst simultaneously hearing the noise of working machines from the film Glory to Capitalism!, which was projected in the same space.

 

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Olga Jurgenson Glory extract1Olga Jurgenson Glory extract1

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]]> Go West! https://videoarchive.cyland.org/video_archive/go-west/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 19:55:00 +0000 http://videoarchive.cyland.org/?post_type=video_archive&p=11854 In 2004 ten new countries became members of the European Union. This led to a new wave of migration from the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Unemployed professionals and skilled workers were filling vacancies in agriculture, food manufacturing, hospitality and other industries – performing dull duties in low-paid jobs, which British citizens did not … Continue reading "Go West!"

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]]> In 2004 ten new countries became members of the European Union. This led to a new wave of migration from the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Unemployed professionals and skilled workers were filling vacancies in agriculture, food manufacturing, hospitality and other industries – performing dull duties in low-paid jobs, which British citizens did not wish to carry out. Commenting and reflecting upon the experience of migrant workers in the UK, Jürgenson developed an interactive installation that invited audiences to participate in the work within the gallery setting.

Pop music in the factory environment is common. While manufacturing and food packing workers have to listen to this music, broadcast with the aim of increasing productivity; dancing, singing and eating would be inappropriate in this environment. Within the exhibition Go West! the audience was invited to sing and dance along with the karaoke video projection, whilst simultaneously hearing the noise of working machines from the film Glory to Capitalism!, which was projected in the same space.

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]]> Time, forward! https://videoarchive.cyland.org/video_archive/time-forward/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 19:49:54 +0000 http://videoarchive.cyland.org/?post_type=video_archive&p=11853 Time, Forward! is a well-known musical piece in the former USSR, which was composed by Georgy Sviridov for the film glorifying the builders of Magnitogorsk Steel Plant in the 1930s. Jürgenson used it as a soundtrack for her footage representing workers from the former USSR, who are grading and packing fruits in a British factory.

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]]> Time, Forward! is a well-known musical piece in the former USSR, which was composed by Georgy Sviridov for the film glorifying the builders of Magnitogorsk Steel Plant in the 1930s. Jürgenson used it as a soundtrack for her footage representing workers from the former USSR, who are grading and packing fruits in a British factory.

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]]> Workers of the World unite! https://videoarchive.cyland.org/video_archive/11850/ Wed, 15 Jul 2020 19:34:38 +0000 http://videoarchive.cyland.org/?post_type=video_archive&p=11850 In her new video film Jürgenson decorates cake sponges with political statements; after Workers of the World unite! is piped on the top of the first layer, Jürgenson covers it with cream, walnuts and another sponge, where she pipes Glory to Capitalism! The artist reflects on the radical changes in the political system of the … Continue reading "Workers of the World unite!"

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]]> In her new video film Jürgenson decorates cake sponges with political statements; after Workers of the World unite! is piped on the top of the first layer, Jürgenson covers it with cream, walnuts and another sponge, where she pipes Glory to Capitalism!

The artist reflects on the radical changes in the political system of the former Soviet republics. Sweet cake and the statements beautifully piped from icing sugar promise new sweet life, which requires a change of political system to attain. In reality this transformation can be very tough.

Slices of double-layered cakes were offered to the visitors of the opening of Olga’s solo exhibition Glory to Capitalism! at The National Centre for Contemporary Art in St Petersburg; delivered daily from a local bakery, slices of cakes with identical statements were offered to the visitors of the exhibition at the Worsted factory in Ekaterinburg during Ural Industrial biennial in 2010.

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