From the text of the manifesto "Belarusian Climate" (1987):
“When night falls, each of us takes a camera and a small hammer and climbs to the surface from a small hatch ... We climb to the top of the ruins, it's not so easy and look into the distance. We have to climb over moss-covered stones (we are afraid to break), then we sit at the top and look into the distance. Gradually, the moonlight becomes viscous and yellow and closes the picture for us. Then we take out the hammers, break the back wall of the cameras and lenses and look into the resulting holes. After a while, we start yawning, then we get down and go to sleep.”
Selected dates:
November 28, 1987
The team was founded in Minsk (BSSR, today the Republic of Belarus) at a time when noticeable changes began to take place in the culture of Belarus: avant-garde movements intensified, interest in performative practices and experimental photography increased.
1991
An important part of the legacy of the "Belarusian climate" was created - a series of photographs like the projects "Conquest of the Belarusian deserts" and "Aeronauts" (both 1991), which were shot during their actions in the sand pits near Zaslavl. In the photo, the half-naked members of the group are childishly playing "war". The images radiate the freedom and euphoria of the time and appeal to the then-taboo nudity and aesthetics of rebellion. These photographic series are strongly influenced by cinema: for example, the films of Sergei Parajanov, magical realism with a love of hoaxes, as well as esoteric literature in the spirit of Jorge Luis Borges. The photo projects themselves and the accompanying texts of the group were often made into books.
1996
The group is no longer active. The following time, the group members were engaged in individual projects and arranged presentations of their activities at many international venues.
2012
After a 16-year break, the group continued its activities.