Taus Makhacheva (b. 1983 Russia)
Ring Road, 2018
Installation, mixed media
Dimensions variable
Sculptor: Aleksey Selivanov
Stonemason: Sergey Solovyev
Geodesy, cartography, construction: Nikita Belyakov, Inga Kirillova, Magomed Kadyrov
Production supported by the Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art as part of the 2018 Artist of the Year program

In the project Ring Road Taus Makhacheva lays out plans for the construction of an absurd dual carriageway that circles in an infinite loop around Makhnot Peak, a mountain near the village of Bolshoy Gotsatl in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. Accompanying spreadsheets list, in meticulous detail, the processes that would need to be followed in order to build this new road operating outside of the existing transport network with no point of entry or exit. In a separate document, Makhacheva has drafted an agreement between herself and a prospective investor who would supply the funding for the construction of the road. In return for realizing Makhacheva’s plans, the investor will receive as a gift the sculptural rendering of the road on display. If any part of the contract is not upheld, the object must be returned to the artist without delay. As the mammoth project hovers in an uncertain state – most likely never to be realised – the accompanying paperwork gains as much metaphorical weight as the 380 kg stone sculpture.