Terra sebv s acta mvsei sabesiensi s

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Fig. 4. Opening of the exhibition “A Bright Festival of Christmas” (2011) 

 

Various centres of aesthetic education, art schools and Sunday 

schools from 35 regions of Altai exhibit watercolours, drawings, miniatures, 

embroidery, bead weaving and mixed media collages on the theme of 

Christmas; in total, more than 800 exhibits from 120 educational 

institutions are displayed. 

The exhibition demonstrates how young authors (aged 5 to 17) and 

their teachers are drawn to the traditions of folk artistic craft such as Palekh 

painting, Khokhloma, Gzhel, weaving and ceramics. Quilling and dolls are 

also presented at the exposition. The gallery space is filled with the light and 

joy that pours forth from the exhibits. All collectives and some authors 

receive certificates of participation and diplomas. The award process is 

highly formal, with rewards and prizes handed over by senior 

representatives of the Barnaul Eparchy (fig. 5-6).  

Fig. 5. Awards for the exhibition 

“A Bright Festival of Christmas” 

(2011) 

Fig. 6. Children’s Art Schools, Christmas Night. 

Patchwork

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T. M. Stepanskaya 

 

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The exhibition dedicated to the artist V. S. Nekhaev (b. 1952) - a 

painter, poet and writer - offers an example of a different type of exhibition. 

The exhibition aroused various responses; viewers were astonished by the 

idiomatic nature of the language and narratives from the author’s rich 

imagination. This was reflected in the name of the exhibition, “Flight of the 

Golden Horse.”  

Based on the works featured in the exhibition, a roundtable 

discussion on the topic of “Modern Fine Art in the Context of Traditions 

and Succession of Russian Art Schools” was held, chaired by the author of 

this article. Nekhaev also took part in the discussion, which covered the 

problems of professionalism in modern fine art; the consequences of 

unprofessionalism in different types of art; the question of artistic merit; the 

culture of art perception; and the professionalism of the fine art expert. 

Participants (teachers and students) focused their attention on the problems 

of artistic merit and the peculiarities of postmodernism. Using Nekhaev’s 

works as a basis, participants formulated views on the levels of perception 

that could be brought to bear on the exposition, distinguishing emotional-

evaluative, intellectual, psychological and objective levels (fig. 7-8). 

The conceptual exhibition “Flight of the Golden Horse” proved that 

a highly developed imagination is one of the preconditions for the birth of 

the artistic image. 

The exhibition “Creative Impulse” (Barnaul, 2011) presented works 

by teachers and members of two higher educational institutions of Altai 

territory’s capital: Altai State Academy of Culture and Art and Altai State 

University. The project met the spirit of times, calling for togetherness, the 

integration of cultures and creative cooperation, providing viewers with new 

opportunities to learn about the richness and complexity of the culture of 

Fig. 7. Painter V. S. Nekhaev

  Fig. 8. Participants in the roundtable discussion

 

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Conceptual Art Exhibitions as a Dialogue between Art and Its Contemporaries 

 

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the magnificent place in which they live. It is culture - especially artistic 

culture - that makes each city unique. The world of art feeds and supports 

the city; cultural differences make cities extrinsically valuable. 

 

               

 

 

 

 

The “Creative Impulse” exhibition aimed to assist the development of 

design and contextual thinking amongst teachers and students. It presented 

the individuality of contributing authors, expressing their relations with 

reality and the world through still-life paintings, portraiture, landscapes and 

animal motifs. The techniques used were varied: oil, watercolour, ink, pastel, 

coloured pencil, collage and even bead weaving were featured. Different 

generations were represented among the artists, but all were united by 

pedagogical activity and dedication to their work. The diversity of works 

motivated a dialogue between authors and viewers. 

The problem of artistic merit is one of the main subjects of 

conversation and discussion. Art is developed through contradictions, but at 

present there appears to be a more romantic individualism, which is why so 

often the painter’s personality is a criterion for exhibition of his or her 

composition. 

The exhibition was built on monographic principles. In general, it 

presented a mosaic of modern Altai art on a modest scale, from classical 

realism to manifestations of postmodernist aesthetics. Lyrical realism was 

presented in the works of S. M. Pogodaev, N. V. Grechneva, N. I. Seltsova, 

while the genteel images of V. I. Bochkovskaya were symbolic. O. Yu. 

Konysheva’s graphics also inclined towards this trend. Decorative origin 

was found in N. E. Kiseleva’s beautiful still-life. The author of this article 

tried to demonstrate spatial thinking and a feeling of colour harmony in the 

Fig. 10. E. Stepanskaya, Cherry, 

2010. Collage

 

Fig. 9. D. V. Demkina, Café, 2010.

Oil on canvas

 

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