Collective Unconscious (Krasnoe & Beloe)

In this work, augmented reality replaces the sign of the alcohol store “Krasnoe & Beloe” with the phrase “Collective & Unconscious”. In Russian, “Kollektivnoe & Bessoznatelnoe” works as a phonetic echo of the original store name.

For non-Russian-speaking audiences the reference may be hard to recognise. “Krasnoe & Beloe” is a popular Russian chain of alcohol stores; the name literally means “Red & White”, referring to red and white wine. The chain has more than 20,000 stores across Russia.

In Russian, the two phrases closely echo each other in sound and structure: both begin with the same initials (K & B), share the same grammatical endings and follow a similar rhythm, so the substitution feels almost natural even though the meaning shifts completely.

Fieldwork and observation

Making this work required a prolonged presence at the site. To carry out the AR intervention, at least ten 3D scans of the same location had to be made at different times of day: in the daytime, in the evening, at night and early in the morning. These repeated visits gradually became a form of observation.

Over this period, the same people who visited the store several times a day began to appear again and again. About 600 metres from the store, in a small park nearby, a stable community slowly became visible. Groups of people gathered there to drink through the night, often staying until morning. When residents left their homes in the morning, these groups were frequently still there, continuing what had begun the night before. Such scenes are common in Russia, as in many other countries.

Importantly, these gatherings were not chaotic. An informal but stable organisation could be observed: a distribution of roles, unspoken rules, and individuals who took on functions of coordination, emotional release and boundary management. Some set the tempo and made situational decisions; others provided emotional support; some handled interactions with the outside world; others became the focus of collective care. This micro-structure reproduced itself day after day, without any institutional framing and without being put into words.

Replacing the brand “Krasnoe & Beloe” with the phrase “Collective & Unconscious” is not meant as satire or as a direct critique of consumption. Rather, it is an interpretive shift.