KONSTRUKTS #17

A study of building and destroying. I built this. You may knock it over.

Humans are both creators and destroyers. One of the earliest games children learn to play is building with blocks, then knocking them down. This simple activity is teaching kids about gravity, cause and effect, and imposing their will on the world around them. As children grow older, the gap between these opposing actions widens. The intention behind knocking things down becomes less innocent, and creators aren't as excited to see their work destroyed.

In 1915, the Russian avant-garde founded the abstract art movement known as Constructivism, rejecting everything except for the absolute purest aspects of form and material. This art was used in service of the Russian revolution and utilized heavily in its propaganda, intended to highlight the utilitarian nature of industrial progress. Mainly, building the new Russia. Its influence is lasting, and can be seen throughout art and design trends even today.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, footage of missiles and airstrikes decimating Ukrainian buildings permeated the media. Ukrainian lives, kitchens, windowsill gardens, and family photos tumbled to the ground. Like children's blocks. Things that took a lifetime to build were destroyed in seconds.

KONSTRUKTS represents this duality in creation and destruction. Stacked children's blocks are rendered in the style of Constructivist designs like El Lissitzky's Proun series, and Alexander Rodchenko's posters. With a simple tap, blocks (or buildings) can be knocked to the ground.

• Tap anywhere to reveal the KONSTRUKTS menu in the top left. Tap the menu for several options.
• KONSTRUKTS can be exported as USDZ or GLTF models to be used in augmented reality or the metaverse.
• Export a full resolution PNG image from the menu.
• If you knocked over the blocks, you can reset them from the menu.

KONSTRUKTS is built entirely with code, using Three.js, JavaScript, and GLSL.