ZIP group

The ZIP group was founded in Krasnodar in 2009. Members: Stepan Subbotin (b. 1987), Vasily Subbotin (b. 1991), Konstantin Chekmarev (b. 1990), Yevgeny Rimkevich (b. 1987). It got its name from the Krasnodar Instrumentation Factory, where the ZIP members had their first show. They founded the self-proclaimed Krasnodar Institute of Contemporary Art (KICA), teach, and organize exhibitions of young artists and public art festivals, including the Kuban Dadaist Festival.

Utopia Factory

The factory is a completely self-sufficient, independent entity intended for artists who lead an au­tonomous existence inside it. It contains everything necessary for work, creativity and leisure: work­shops for artists, lecture, exhibition and sports halls, cinemas, spaces to freely express political views, parks and fountains, libraries, restaurants and so on. Money is replaced by barter. Art is exchanged for materials and food. The only thing required of art­ists is to constantly engage in making art. An artist’s quality of life will depend on the quantity and quality of his art. There is a special storeroom for the best works of art. Art for which there is no de­mand or which a council of experts, elected in an open vote, considers to be of poor quality is recy­cled. Any person who considers himself an artist can fill out a questionnaire and join the plant but can be expelled for not producing any art. The artist must create at least one work of art every six months. Similar plants should be established in every country in the world in the buildings and spaces of former industrial enterprises. An example of the Utopia Factory project is the Krasnodar Instrumen­tation Factory. The facade of the factory is unchanged, but the internal layout and structure have been completely redesigned to meet the new requirements.