The neologism ‘visionaut’ was coined by the participants of the programme: it is derived from the French ‘visionnaire’ (seer, dreamer) and the Ancient Greek ‘naútēs’ (sailor, wanderer). The root ‘vision’ in English means ‘sight,’ but also ‘goal’ or ‘desired outcome,’ so a visionaut is someone who knows what they want and how to achieve it.

The Institute of Visionauts is an interdisciplinary project that brought together young Abkhaz architects, the local community and the Berlin-based architectural collective raumlabor — winners of the Venice Architecture Biennale, known for their urban space interventions.The aim of the ‘Institute of Visionauts’ was to reimagine the public spaces of Sukhum, a city that still bears the scars of war. Upon arriving in Sukhum, raumlabor and the local architectural community engaged in a five-day intensive research process. A three-metre map of the city — the outcome of their collaborative work — was installed on the seafront, inviting residents to contribute their own ideas for the city’s future.

The project included the following participants: Nasta Agrba, Bislan Bagateliya, Astamur Butba, Amra Chichibaya, Kama Katsiya, Sabina Kharjelia, Alkhaz Kvaratskelya, Saida Lakrba, Astamur Maan, Nadeer Saeed, Omar Shaguch

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