The “Art in the Metro” project was presented in Moscow. It is designed to introduce Muscovites and guests of the capital to the work of artists, present modern trends in art and lift the spirits of passengers, according to the website mos.ru. “The Art in the Metro project will help artists express themselves, reveal their talent and introduce many people to their work,” said Moscow Deputy Mayor for Transport Maxim Liksutov. His words are quoted by mos.ru. Artists will be able to create works at metro stations and find new audiences, and passengers will be able to study new art trends, Vedomosti explained. To the City” representative of the press service of the Moscow Department of Culture.
Project participants will be provided with three sites for work – at the Dostoevskaya, Park Kultury metro stations on the Circle Line and Kievskaya on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line. The points were selected according to three criteria: safety, beautiful views of the station architecture and convenience – artists should not disturb passengers. You can become a participant in the first season of “Art in the Metro” by submitting an application on the project website. To do this, artists need to fill out a form and attach a video card and photos of their works.
The general partner and operator of “Art in the Metro” was the “Moscow Exhibition Halls” association of the Moscow Department of Culture. The association’s expert commission is participating in the competitive selection and plans to organize group exhibitions based on the results of the participants’ plein air sessions, Vedomosti explained. To the City” representative of the press service of the Department of Culture. “At the first stage of the project’s launch, the Moscow Exhibition Halls association prepared a list of artists with whom it collaborates on an ongoing basis,” noted Yuri Langleben, deputy director for exhibition work of the association. The names of the artists are not specified. Further stages will include new representatives of the art industry, selected by an expert commission consisting of professional art historians and artists, members of the Moscow Union of Artists, Langleben added. The project plans include an accompanying program: lectures from famous artists, master classes for students of art universities and group exhibitions based on the results of artists’ work in the metro at stations and in the galleries of the Moscow Exhibition Halls association.
“We are interested in introducing residents and guests of the city to the culture of Moscow not only at our traditional venues – museums, exhibition halls, cultural centers, but also in the most visited places in the capital,” explained Vedomosti in a commentary. To the city” by the head of the Moscow Department of Culture Alexey Fursin. During exhibitions in the subway, metro passengers will be able to see works of talented artists without making any special efforts, he noted. “If they are interested in the work of our masters, Muscovites will be able to become visitors to our galleries or simply become familiar with art,” Fursin said.
For metro passengers, such projects are good because they add variety to the routine process of traveling, says Katerina Zaitseva, senior researcher at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. “Trips on the subway are often accompanied by stress due to the fast pace of movement, the need to rush, and a large number of people. This project can make our underground life more interesting, it will allow us to switch gears for a while and see the beauty around us,” she explains.
For artists, the opportunity to show themselves and their work to a large number of people is a plus for their career, says Lyubov Pulikova, candidate of art history, senior employee of the Russian Academy of Arts. “Different people travel on the subway, some of whom may be members of the artists’ target audience, such as art collectors,” she says. In addition, such projects can humanize public spaces, adds Zaitseva. Abroad, for example, they have a democratic attitude towards creative manifestations in public places – singing, the process of drawing, she explains. In Russia, creative manifestations in public spaces still cause anxiety and a feeling of violation of public order. “That’s why special projects and niches are being created where such manifestations are allowed in public places regulated by rules of conduct,” she concludes.
