2021 REFLECTION OF THE VERANDA

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REFLECTION OF THE VERANDA

reflexio “turning back, reflection”

Reflection is the act of directing one’s attention to oneself, to one’s consciousness, to the products of one’s own activity, and reinterpreting them.

The most “homely” place in the entire building of the Old Laboratory is, of course, the bright veranda, enclosed in glass on three sides. According to the architect Bespalov’s design, it was part of the space allocated for Ivan Petrovich’s apartment. He loved to read books here and spend time with colleagues and family. In the summer months, the veranda would transform into a dining room, where family and guests gathered around a large table for long conversations on various topics.

It was here, in 1935, that the artist Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov painted the Portrait of I.P. Pavlov, which is now housed in the Tretyakov Gallery.

In the installation Reflection of the Veranda, only the first cultural layer is presented—those years when Pavlov lived and worked here.

On the dining table, a tea set is displayed, decorated with quotes from Pavlov’s phrases collected from contemporary accounts. In the area around the table, an audio composition of a shared meal and conversations, including Pavlov’s “voice,” can be heard. A video monitor on the wall next to the table shows historical footage from the 1930s in Koltushi, in which Pavlov and his family can be seen dining on this very veranda.

To the left of the entrance stands an easel with a reproduction of Nesterov’s Portrait of I.P. Pavlov. By the window, there is a small table with an armchair next to it, holding a flower and plaster hands. The scene in the painting is recreated. In the easel area, excerpts from Nesterov’s diary are read aloud, describing his days spent in Koltushi and the painting of this portrait. Historical photographs hang on the wall, along with a ceramic plate showing the veranda and the room below, where dogs waited for their turn in experiments. Memories here seem to come from the perspective of the veranda itself.

This is not scientific but an artistic conjecture—that the Veranda could not only preserve but also share its memories, drawing us into its own reflection.

The veranda has no nervous system, but we sense and imagine that historical spaces like this possess a “memory” of their visitors. What is this memory like, where does it reside, how can it be retrieved, and on what material (or immaterial) media are the impressions of those long gone recorded?

Nearly a century has passed since Pavlov and many of his colleagues lived; in that time, the science he dedicated himself to—neurophysiology—has advanced far.

One day, what Pavlov wrote in 1903 may come true:

“With objective data obtained, science will, sooner or later, transfer this understanding to our subjective world, illuminating our mysterious nature and clarifying the mechanism and life significance of what increasingly occupies humanity—our consciousness and the struggles of that consciousness.”

Special Thanks for Assistance on the Installation “Reflection of the Veranda”

Irina Aktuganova, Anna Apollonova, Vladimir Vasilyev, Alisa Kanayan, Valentina Belyaeva, Pavel Ignatiev, Elena Gubanova, Maxim Kirilin, Pyotr Shvetsov, Susan Shvetsova-Katz, Leyla Shvetsova, Andrey Rudyov, Veronika Rudyova-Ryazantseva, the art group “Where the Dogs Run,” Natalya Varayun, Irina Besedinajavascript:void(0);/*1731262691219*/