The image journal of Alexey Kozhenkov

 Alexey Kozhenkov is an architectural photographer known for his unique shots that breathe life into the mundane. His lens transforms ‘boring’ urban landscapes into captivating symphonies of geometry and light.

Latvian born and settled in Moscow; Alexey was an avid ‘urban explorer’ in his earlier years, searching for stories etched in the cracks of forgotten walls, his camera a constant companion. After university graduation, he found his passion for photography growing. A visit to Copenhagen in 2017 was a turning point- the Danish capital’s modern architecture left him impressed and inspired him to develop as an urban architecture photographer, capture the beauty he perceives in the concrete forms, and share it with the world. Today, Alexey’s work transcends mere documentation; it is an ode to the urban aesthetic and a testament to the visual poetry hidden in steel and stone. In Alexey’s lens, the concrete jungle isn’t a mere monotonous gray mass; it becomes a vibrant frame accentuated with light and shadow, a proof to the hidden beauty that awaits discovery in every corner of the urban landscape.

Finding Poetry in Concrete Jungles

Architectural photography being Kozhenkov’s major focus, a particular fascination for Brutalist buildings is evident in his works. He transforms the often monolithic and towering concrete giants with their sharp lines and geometric forms into a visual treat that becomes unexpectedly beautiful and even poetic. His skillful utilization of light and shadow accentuates the interplay of negative space and bold shapes, creating both visually arresting and thought-provoking compositions. Another interesting feature of his shots are that they capture the whole atmosphere of the place and not just the building. The viewers can feel the crisp and cold air or the soft sunlight from his pictures. Below are a few captures of Kozhenkov that points out his love for capturing Brutalism in all its glory.

A Global Urban Explorer 

As previously stated, Kozhenkov is an urban explorer and a global one. His work is not confined to a single city or region, but the whole world. His photo series ‘Spaces for Winds’ features the Brutalist architecture of Belgrade, while the series ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’ showcases the architecture of Hong Kong of the 80s. His photographs also portray buildings from Rome, Copenhagen, Berlin, Tbilisi, and Milan. Each location becomes a canvas for his artistic vision, revealing the distinct interplay of light, form, and history that characterizes each urban space. 

The ’Spaces for Winds’ series prominently features New Belgrade in present-day Serbia, which was the socialist country of Yugoslavia, where post-World War Two architects built urban neighborhoods with many sets of brutalist high-rise building blocks. The blocks vary in design and form, creating unique urban areas and neighborhoods for public use. These spaces, lively and vibrant in the summer, turn empty and cold in the winter. The photos capture the whole vibe and showcases a muted color palette, grouped forms, and an overwhelming sense of scale- offering a powerful glimpse into an enduring architectural style.

Another much-acclaimed series of Kozhenkov is the ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’. The series shows the atmosphere of utopian 80s Hong Kong, with its surreal architectural forms and landscapes, frozen in timelessness and soaked in scattered sunlight. The 80s marked a transformative era for Hong Kong with an unprecedented pace of construction that made the city a dense concrete jungle with expensive real estate. Though the city has entirely changed, these buildings retain the memories of the past and keep that era alive. Though the city has entirely transformed into the Hong Kong we know today, these buildings retain the memories of the past and keep that era alive.

Kozhenkov states that he was completely captivated by the magical atmosphere of this part of Hong Kong and also that the visual experience of wandering through these huge tarnished residential complexes with old neon signs, pensioners listening to portable radio and playing board games, is something that words fail to describe. 

The gear used for this series is a Sony a7R II with Tamron 28-75mm f2,8 lens. Captured with the aim of conveying the real atmosphere, the photographs have minimal interference. Processing is limited to reducing the contrast, some small cropping, and correction of geometric distortions, yet giving the viewer an exact frozen frame of the place.

The Human Narrative

While architecture indeed is the major subject of Kozhenkov’s lens, he also sometimes incorporates humans within the urban landscape. Solitary human figures dwarfed by towering structures and unexpected pops of color amidst the gray monotony- all these subtle details weave together a story of human existence within the concrete jungle. He wants us to see that concrete jungles aren’t just a place for buildings, it’s also a place where people live, have fun, and run about their daily lives.

A Legacy in Light and Form

Alexey Kozhenkov’s image journal is proof of the power of photography to transcend the purely visual. His works- a dialogue between light and form, structure and humanity- invite us to perceive the world around us through different angles.  As we delve deeper into his carefully composed frames, we are reminded that beauty can be found even in the mundane, if one is willing to look for it, and that even the monumental concrete giants hold stories waiting to be told. 

References:

Grace, K. (2020, January 19). Discover Utopian Hong Kong of the 80’s Through The Lens of Alexey Kozhenkov. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from ArchDaily: https://www.archdaily.com/931959/discover-utopian-hong-kong-of-the-80-s-through-the-lens-of-alexey-kozhenkov

Kozhenkov, A. (2019, February 05). Portfolio. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from Behance: https://www.behance.net/kozhenkov

Kozhenkov, A. (2020, January 11). Ambient Metropolis light. Retrieved January 12, 2024, from designideas.pics: https://www.designideas.pics/ambient-metropolis-light/

Maganga, M. (2023, March 16). Brutalist Belgrade: Through the Eyes of Alexey Kozhenkov. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from ArchDaily: https://www.archdaily.com/957105/brutalist-belgrade-through-the-eyes-of-alexey-kozhenkov

Images:

1. Alexey Kozhenkov_© instagram.com/alexey_kozhenkov 
2. A photograph from one of Kozhenkov’s series ‘Basic Forms’, in which the main geometric forms in brutalism are explored_© Alexey Kozhenkov 
3. From ‘Basic forms’, 2019_© Alexey Kozhenkov 
4. From the series ‘Spaces for Winds’ 2020_© Alexey Kozhenkov
5. Photo of the IULM communication school building in Milan, Italy, captured in 2019, from the series ‘Orange’_© Alexey Kozhenkov
6. A photgraph from the series ‘Spaces for Winds’_© Alexey Kozhenkov
7. from ‘Spaces for Winds’_© Alexey Kozhenkov
8. from ‘Spaces for Winds’_© Alexey Kozhenkov
9. from ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’, 2019_© Alexey Kozhenkov
10. from ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’, 2019_© Alexey Kozhenkov
11. Public areas amidst the residential complexes, ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’, 2019_© Alexey Kozhenkov
12. This image from the series properly conveys the density of the area_© Alexey Kozhenkov
13. from ‘Ambient Metropolis Light’, 2019_© Alexey Kozhenkov
14. the human element, image from ‘Spaces for Winds’_© Alexey Kozhenkov
15. from image series of Moscow city expansion_© Alexey Kozhenkov/ Instagram
16. from the series ‘Postworld’_© Alexey Kozhenkov