Neighbourhood #12 2020

Pavlo Makov made this etching, Neighbourhood #12, between 2019 and 2023. It presents us with an aerial view of urban planning. The print depicts a structured arrangement of terraced houses connected by pathways, interspersed with trees and a central monument. Its monochrome palette, overlaid with touches of orange, evokes the bureaucratic maps of a planned community. Makov hails from Ukraine, a country with a complex history of Soviet urban planning. His work often reflects on the loss of individuality within such systems. Through visual codes such as repetition and rigid structure, the image references the utopian ideals of modernist architecture but also hints at their potential for alienation. The inclusion of organic elements softens the harshness of the urban landscape, suggesting a negotiation between nature and imposed order. To fully appreciate Makov's work, one might consider studies in architectural history and post-Soviet urban development. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context, and this kind of research can deepen our understanding.