Mark Khidekel
Mark Khidekel (Russian: Марк Хидекель; born in 1946 in Leningrad) is an architect and designer. M.A. and Ph.D. from the Leningrad Institute of Architecture and Construction. Khidekel began his study of architecture under his father, Lazar Khidekel(lazarkhidekel.com), one of the major Russian avant-garde artists and architects, disciple of Mark Chagall and Kazimir Malevich.
1970-1986: Director of the Scientific Experimental Architectural Studio, which under his leadership grew to become the State Institute of Architecture [1986 - 1993, St. Petersburg, Russia].
From 1967 Khidekel designed a number of monuments devoted to the victims and soldiers of WWII, located in St.Petersburg, Tallin, and Severomorsk, that earned Khidekel the State Prize for Young Creators in 1972. Major projects from the 1970-1980's: the extension of the State Russian Museum and the Art Square at the historical center of St. Petersburg; the Depository for Modern Art collections in St. Petersburg; a concept of the conversion of the Kronshtadt complex of fortresses; Educational & Ecological Campground in Karelia; the Architectural-scientific project for Cosmic Habitat (part of the Soviet-American cosmic program Apollo-Soyuz). Throughout the years, 1987–93, Khidekel was involved in number of international collaborative projects with architectural firms and associates such as, Dyer/ Brown & Associates, ETH - Zurich, and Wayss & Freytag, Frankfurt. He participated in an international competition on Euro-Lille and did extensive lecturing in ETH - Zurich, Swiss, Architectural School, Lille, and Architectural School in Versailles, France, and Cambridge University, United Kingdom. Khidekel participated in several international competitions and has received a number of international prizes including the Grand Prix of the World Biennial INTERARCH in 1983.
Since 1993 in the United States, Khidekel has served as a visiting professor at the Parsons New School of Design and continues to work as a practicing New York architect and designer.
In 1995, Khidekel collaborated with Philip Johnson on a large Russian- American urban project, "The New Business Center" in St. Petersburg. He has also participated in the number of competitions including: Art Museum at Duke University, 1996; Museum of Bible, NY, 1996; Vertical Highway for the World Trade Center in NYC, 2002; Babi Yar Memorial in Denver, Co, 2006-7. His more recent project “Bridge-City” dedicated to solving New York's problem of congestion, traffic, lack of emergency transportation egress, parking spaces, and high cost of land, by building multipurpose bridge structure at the waterfront. This project would create new urban center for living, working, commerce, and leisure while serving as a shelter in the time of natural disaster.
Mark Khidekel is a founding member of the Lazar Khidekel Society: http://www.russianamericanculture.com/lazar-khidekel-society/lazar-khidekel-members/; a Trustee of the Russian American Cultural Center:http://www.russianamericanculture.com/lazar-khidekel-society/lazar-khidekel-brand/;
Selected exhibitions: "Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed" exhibition at ZKM Museum of Contemporary art, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2010-2011; http://lacowboy.blogspot.com/2011/03/was-1970s-1980s-soviet-union-hotbed-of.html; "Tests of Time. Five Reflections", JCC in Manhattan, 2003; "Skyline Remembered, Skyline Thought", RACC, NYC, 2002; National Art Club, NYC, 1996; "Small Format", The Leonard Hutton Galleries, NYC, 1995; The Educational Alliance, NYC, 1995
Museum collections: Zimmerli Museum, NJ; The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, The Museum of History of St. Petersburg; Private collections: Philip Johnson, Norton Dodge, Ingrid Hutton, Pig & Marie Schwartz, Segrey Gordeev (Russian Avant-garde Foundation), Yurii Traisman, Tatiana & Natalia Kolodzei Foundation, Alla Zeide, Alexander Zhurbin, and others in the USA, Russia, Israel, and Germany.
References
- Roman Khidekel "From Visionary to Reality", Exhibition catalog "Floating Worlds and Future Cities", YIVO, 2013.
- Frederic Chaubin "CCCP Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed", Taschen, 2011.
"Swansongs of a superpower: Russia's secret architecture" by Jonathan Glancey, Guardian.co.uk, Monday, 7 February 2011. http://lacowboy.blogspot.com/2011/03/was-1970s-1980s-soviet-union-hotbed-of.html;
- Беседовал Дмитрий НОВИК. Марк Хидекель: "В Америке живут там, где работают" http://www.vd-zr.ru/articles/167/.
- Boris Fishman "A Suburban Street Straight Up Into the Sky?", The New York Times, January 26, 2003. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/26/arts/art-architecture-a-suburban-street-straight-up-into-the-sky.html
- "A Visionary Museum: Four Architects for a New DUMA", Duke University Museum of Art,Exhibitions & Events,Fall 1998-Summer 1999, p 16-17.
- Constantin Boym "NYC Rusisk Design", "Louisiana Revy" (36 argang Nr.2, p 48) 1996.
- Mark Khidekel "Suprematism in Architecture", "L'Arca" Italy,1989 p 62-71.
- Oleg Romanov "The Experiment Goes On" "L'Arca" Italy,1989, p 72-79.
- Mark Khidekel "Suprematism & The Architectural projects", "Architectural Design" UK, Vol 59 No 7/8 - 1989, p 3-4.