Murmansk observation

Most of the inhabitants in Murmansk live in monotonous prefab 4-7 storey concrete buildings, made in the post stalinistic era. These buildings are kept in a desaturated range of colours, primarily in grey tone and works as a enormous citywall, that sorround the city of Murmansk. The opportunity as an individual to make your own expression, is very limited. As a contrast to these colourless and standardised facades, you will find the garage communities.

In the Russian society the garage not only serves as a place for repairing and store cars, but has a even more multifunctional value. The garage works as a spaciousness for expression, where you as an individual can express yourself in your own 4*4 meter plot. It is a social and informel meeting point where politics can be discussed with friends, and a hiding place away from furious wives. In this way, the garage symbolize a space for making meaning, constructing identity and therefor can be considered, to have a fundamental value in the Russian culture.

The garages are often located in larger groups or garage towns, with up to several hundreds in each group. They are primarily standardised prefab constructions, but you have as an individual the oppurtunity to paint or decorate the facades, and make your own place unique. The colourful facades can in a small scale, be considered as a way to affect the city´s, grey and monotonous expression.