At their workshop in Fryazino, a small town just outside Moscow that once lived off its military industry, Boris Bazhenov and Alexander Bobin are creating a small collection of industrial sculptures inspired by the steampunk movement.
Calling themselves artmechanics.com, the pair painstakingly create giant fish and other animals with inner workings made of cogs and wheels, fins that wave and jaws that rise and fall.
Their flagship model, “Fish House,” draws its inspiration from a traditional tale: “a long time ago, a gigantic fish swallowed a person. Unwilling to accept his fate he decided to turn the fish into his house,” Bazhenov and Bobin said. Close scrutiny of the model, made from oak, lime wood and burnished metal, reveals a chimney poking through the fish’s upper skin.
The “Battering-ram Fish” is another of their creations – a former battleship that escaped to freedom but lost much of its armor on the way, say its creators. Bazhenov and Bobin spend up to nine months making each of their models. They have finished four and are at work on another five. Most of their models have been sold to companies or bought by individuals as gifts.
The Other Hundred is a not-for-profit photo book by the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) to provide a counterpoint to the mainstream media consensus about some of today's most important issues. The book introduces readers to the vast majority of people, ideas, places and cultures simply ignored by most major media publications. Through an annual series of books, each focusing on a particular subject, The Other Hundred provides an alternative and refreshing view on everything from people and their homes to performers, chefs and authors.
Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.