How can we look at historical landmarks through a contemporary lens? This is the question driving architect and artist Sergei Tchoban in his site-specific, live drawing performance at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. His work brings together the past and the present, capturing them in ink on large rolls of paper.
Over the course of two days, Tchoban will create an evolving drawing that explores many chapters — both historical and modern — of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s life and work. His connection to Mies goes back to his childhood in St. Petersburg, where he first encountered the German Embassy, a building for which Mies was construction manager under Peter Behrens (1911–1913). Since then, Tchoban has crossed paths with Mies’s architecture many times.
As the performance unfolds, the paper will slowly fill with vivid scenes — some familiar, others mysterious. Known for a style that is both fast and calm, Tchoban draws at a rhythm that invites visitors to follow the emerging story. Each performance day (Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October) has a set duration, but the drawing’s final form will only be decided in the moment.
Organised with: Barcelona Dibuixa
Curated by: Esenija Bannan
Art intervention: October 18, 2025 and October 19, 2025; 10 PM
Exhibition: October 18, 2025 – October 21, 2025
Venue: Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, Carrer de Provença, 318, 08037 Barcelona