Spoorbuis met dubbele rails op de Sokolnik-lijn 1930 - 1935

Editor: This is a print of “Spoorbuis met dubbele rails op de Sokolnik-lijn” – which translates to “rail tube with double rails on the Sokolnik line" – made sometime between 1930 and 1935 by Mospo Sostawitol. It depicts a subway tunnel. It has an unsettling and mysterious mood. What’s your take on this photograph? Curator: It’s like stepping into a dream, isn't it? I mean, think about what Sostawitol is doing here. He's not just showing us a tunnel. He's showing us a vision of progress, a pathway to the future, and a slice of Soviet ambition. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings of prisons, but instead of confinement, there's a sense of possibility... or is there? I keep asking myself whether Sostawitol intended it to feel so… well, so heavy. Editor: Heavy? Curator: Yes! It's as though he captured the grand ideals, but the reality weighs everything down. Look how the vanishing point sucks us into infinity. And it’s very symmetrical... like a dark mirror. Does that geometry offer stability, or does it become oppressive? What do you think? Editor: I guess I didn’t notice those subtleties initially. I just saw the city. Now I notice this disturbing quality you're pointing out, and the photo is making me think about urban planning in new ways! Curator: Isn’t it wonderful when a piece challenges us? Next time you’re underground, I hope you see it with new eyes. Maybe, Sostawitol can still surprise you after all these years!