Biotechnosphere

The original ‘Biotechnosphere’ was a monumental sculpture by the Ukrainian underground and avant-garde artist Fedir Tetianych (1942-2007) in Popasna, a city in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine. It is an artistic exploration of themes such as environmental pollution, saving lives in a hostile world and biotechnological solutions.

The metal sculpture from the 1980s was melted down during the economic hardship caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2024, the artist's son, Bohdan Tetianych, was able to realise a reconstruction together with Bogdana Kosmina and Nikita Kadan. This project was supported by ‘Urbane Künste Ruhr’ as part of the Ruhrtriennale and exhibited as part of the exhibition project ‘Landscapes of an enduring past - in search of past and future utopias’ in Essen on the grounds of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex.

In 2022, Russian troops occupied Popasna, which had already suffered greatly during the Russian invasion in 2014. Intense fighting led to the extensive destruction of buildings and infrastructure. The artists' utopia is to one day bring the historical reconstruction of the work back to the rebuilt eastern Ukrainian city. Until then, the ‘rescue capsule’ will be travelling to various locations. It will be on display at the Citadel until May 2025.

The presentation of the biotechnosphere in the Spandau Citadel was made possible with the support of Urbane Kunst Ruhr, Ribbon International and Kul’tura e.V.