In the living puzzle of the big city there is a place for both man and love!

“Connection” is the name of the open-air exhibition of street art that opened today. Every artist dreams that many viewers will see his work, but this will happen at the “Connection”, because thousands of people pass along the railway tracks on the road from the Kursk railway station every day, so there will be someone to appreciate the bright and unusual works!

A huge wall is decorated with graffiti-style drawings, and the place was not chosen by chance. The exhibition was given a legendary site on the territory of the unique creative space of Moscow – Art-Kvartal. The wall along the railroad tracks on the road from the Kursk railway station leads towards two creative clusters: Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art and the Artplay Design Center, a place well known to both contemporary art lovers and street artists. For a long time, the giant canvas was hidden, but now it has turned into a new art space.

The first project of the Art-Kvartal creative space took place in the spring of 2022. The exhibition is the second joint project on the territory of the Art Quarter. The concept of the exhibition was developed by the Moscow Committee for Architecture and CCA Winzavod as a project to support street art artists. Before the opening of the street gallery, a closed competition was held, in which 12 artists took part. The expert commission evaluated the portfolio, concepts, participation of works for relevance to the theme and compatibility with each other.

The chief architect of Moscow Sergey Kuznetsov spoke about the new exposition: “The exhibition “Connection” is aimed at studying and developing graffiti, because architecture is not necessarily about large buildings, but also about such public initiatives. In addition, street art builds a dynamic dialogue between citizens and the city, which is important for a modern, vibrant urban environment.”

– The Art Quarter will attract city residents, it is an interesting route for a pleasant walk, during which there is a meeting with contemporary art. The NETSTEN street gallery is included in the Winzavod CCA excursion route, where students learn the history of Russian street art and see real works of artists,” says Sabina Chagina, art director of the Winzavod CCA. – The next stage in the emergence of art in the Art Quarter will be the IV Artmossphere Street Art Biennale, which will be held in the spring of 2023 in the Basmanny District. Thus, new works of artists will appear in the Art Quarter, enhancing the effect of the presence of art and creating new points of attraction for citizens.

Six artists became the winners of the project: Roma Muratkin, Misha Most, Alexey Luka, Olya Iney, Sasha Blot and Vova Nootk. The works of young, creative authors are very diverse, and if the meaning of some is clear at first glance, then for a complete understanding of others, you need to read the author’s comments. For example, the graffiti by Roman Muratkin: an ever-hurrying clerk is running, holding a traditional glass of coffee, everything is clear and familiar. The author comments: “The hero of the work is in a hurry somewhere about his business. The movement and dynamics of form emphasize the rapid pace of life in a big city. This rhythm and flow unite the inhabitants of the metropolis.”

Office workers are running, hurrying, and the artist Olya Iney thinks this: “In a hurrying crowd, in a general faceless mass, it is difficult to distinguish or remember someone. But one has only to stop and focus, as strangers acquire their own unique personality.

Misha Most in his work addresses the topic of the impact of technology on humans. In the features of the characters of his graffiti there is something from androids, something from people who perceive the world around us through the means of communication familiar to us, there is a connection between the digital and real worlds, and perhaps the absence of a border between these two realities.

In the digital world, people need to preserve humanity, cherish feelings and emotions. Here is the author’s transcript for Sasha Blot’s painting with kissing creatures-palms talking about this: “Two surreal creatures that form different elements find harmony only by connecting with each other by touching their lips. At the same time, their shaping power is not only enhanced, but also acquires a common color. This is how the moment of creation is shown – the time when it is necessary to create, love and balance. An endless source of inspiration and the formation of thoughts, emotions and meanings for a person is himself. With our own hands, we are able to create parts of our surrounding world: from architecture to plants, from the simplest things to art boundlessly filled with meanings. The most important thing is to share it with others, creating the strongest and most balanced bonds.”

The main idea of ​​the exposition is reflections on the topic of the urban environment and its interaction with contemporary art. The work of Vova Nootk can become a kind of motto of the exhibition. The sketch on the wall is devoted to reflections on how a variety of characters come together in a single urban puzzle and where each one takes its place.

The exhibition will run until May 2023, after which it will be updated.

Mikhail Kovalyov.

Author’s photo