The Attractive Force of Lines is Uzbekistan's contribution to the International Architecture and Design Showcase and features a series of black and white photographs of the contemporary cities’ infrastructure, along with the images of ancient architectural heritage examples.

The photo reportage is a work of Viktor Viatkin, established photographer and a book designer who introduces the structure of traditional and modern Asian cities contemplating the visual impressions that the cityscape provide.

With his photography he describes the architecture in a way that gives an idea of a beauty and reflects its mysterious and sophisticated features. In an almost philosophical discourse Viatkin introduces the exhibition with following words:

“Since the ancient times the Central Asian town has had a dominant vertical in the shape of a minaret surrounded by horizontal lines of the neighbourhood interwoven in a complex network of narrow lanes. Sometimes the vertical rises only a couple of meters above the houses and with the time the newly built structures overtake it, surrounding the vertical inside a courtyard, which nevertheless does not alter it’s meaning nor it’s significance.(…)The constant lines are like eternal values; the moving lines of the shadows represent periodical events, making the ephemeral atmosphere of our everyday life.(…)

The town is flowing along and across the lines of streets, the vortexes of squares and the quiet havens of dreamy courtyards”

The exhibition is open until 22 September

Monday to Friday from 9.30 – 17.30

Embassy of Uzbekistan, 41 Holland Park, W11 3RP

Please click here to find out more about the International Showcase.