The Russian spirit is there: how the Tretyakov Gallery revived Russian fairy tales with the help of Instagram and artificial intelligence

Russian fairy tale. From Vasnetsov still 6+

February 22 – September 20, 2020

"Russian fairy tale. From Vasnetsov until now” is an exhibition-journey between the worlds of classical and modern art, cinema and Russian folklore. Turning to fantasy worlds, characters, and plots, artists often depicted heroes of Russian fairy tales, epics, and mythological stories. In our minds, Sadko, Koschey the Immortal, Ivan Tsarevich, the goblin and the mermaid are fictional, “fairy-tale” characters. We perceive them through books, movies, artistic images and immerse ourselves in the imaginative world of childhood. In Russian folklore, these are different and rarely intersecting worlds.

The Tretyakov Gallery offers visitors several levels of perception of the Russian fairy tale. The first path is through art, the works of Viktor Vasnetsov, Ivan Bilibin, Vasily Polenov, Mikhail Vrubel, Bob Wilson, contemporary artists - to the most recognizable images from Soviet cinema and animation. The second is through a journey through the worlds of Russian folklore: fairy tales, epics and epic tales. And the third - through natural elements: underground spaces, forests and water, in which the main events of plots familiar from childhood take place.

Each visitor can become the creator of his own fairy tale, relying on a wide range of figurative and artistic material. We invite viewers to experience the rich emotional experience that is embedded in Russian folklore. The Tretyakov Gallery addresses the fairy tale not only at the plot level, but also at the subject level. The fairy tale becomes an object of exposition - sonorous, physical. An important feature of the exhibition is its immersiveness - giving the visitor a physical (bodily) exploration of the fairy-tale world through immersion in the elements of the habitat of well-known heroes and characters.

The project is designed for a family audience. The goal of the project is to, through immersion in an interactive environment and means of modern communications, attract the attention of children and adolescents to Russian fairy tales and epics, which, being part of the cultural code, influence the formation of personality.

The exhibition includes works of painting and graphics from the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the History of Money (JSC Goznak), the Cinema Museum, the State Center for Contemporary Art, the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum, and the Museum-Reserve " Abramtsevo" and private collections. The project will showcase works by Viktor Vasnetsov, Ivan Bilibin, Elena Polenova, Ilya Repin, Sergei Konenkov, Natalia Goncharova, Bob Wilson, Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, Olga Tobreluts, Rostan Tavasiev, Irina Korina and many others.

For the first time, such large-scale works by Viktor Vasnetsov as “The Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom” (1879–1881), “The Frog Princess” (1918), “Ivan the Prince on the Gray Wolf” (1920) are presented in one exhibition.

The exhibition is complemented by a curated multimedia project from the international studio Avocado Toast - animated paintings by Ilya Repin and Viktor Vasnetsov and themed Instagram masks.

Three masters of new media - Andrey Flat, Vadim Epshtein and Alexey Zakharov - examined paintings by great Russian painters to present the author's vision of works familiar from childhood.

Thematic instamasks, revealing the characters of six different characters in the exhibition, were created by contemporary Russian artists working in different genres - Illarion Gordon, Victoria Semykina, Vitaly Prostov, Masha Vorslav, Nikita Replyansky and Alena Lavdovskaya. Masks are available to all followers of the Tretyakov Gallery Instagram account

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Curatorial group

: Tatiana Getman, Ivan Antonov, Igor Volkov

Architect, exhibition artist, project co-curator

: Alexey Tregubov
Author of interactive objects
: Maria Tregubova
Scientific consultant
: Nikita Petrov (RANEPA STEPS)

The general sponsor

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* Joint Stock Company "Russian Agricultural Bank"

Moskvich

A week later, on July 3, the Tretyakov Gallery will reopen to visitors. This is what we managed to overhear even before the restrictions were introduced.

In line to enter:

— What kind of exhibition is that? - Yes, for kids. Fairy tales are there. - Why are the adults alone then? “We stood behind this woman in a silver down jacket.” - Oh, of course! Don't bring up the nineties here! - Mash, no need to play around. - But the fact that? - So, what kind of conversations are we having? - There are no conversations. I’m actually standing, I want to break the steps, but I changed my mind. From Vasnetsov’s painting “The Knight at the Crossroads”:

-What is written on the stone? - Mom, how do I know? This was written a hundred years ago! Near the installation “Ice Age”:

- Oh, look. What is it? - Why is the bunny wearing a fur coat? (Thoughtfully.) And is this a bunny?.. - This is all the hypostasis of a woman. At the very end, this is when she is already a 70-year-old seasoned bitch. A young couple near the installation “Michal Mikhalych is sleeping”:

- So, who is this? Is this Baloo the bear? — Russian fairy tales, Svet, what Baloo? - Oh, yes. Where is the postscript? Oh, this is Mikhail Mikhailovich. - Well, not Vladimir Vladimirovich... - Masha, okay, the children are climbing up there, but where are you going? Grandma forty years old! From Vasnetsov’s painting “The Flying Carpet”:

“As a child, I thought that our living room carpet was also flying.” They just nailed him... Near Vasnetsov’s painting “Fight of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent Gorynych”

- What a snake, look! Dobrynya Nikitich defeats him! Let's count how many heads he has? - One... Two... Three... Five. No... One, two, three... Five. Come on, kill all the heads? Cruel. At Maria Tregubova’s installation “The Death of Koshchei”:

- We remember, Polina, what is this? - Don't know. - What if it’s in the ass? - Needle! At the installation “The Sword of the Immortal”:

- Seryozha, what is this? - Sword. -Whose sword? - Koschei the Immortal. (Thinks.) Not mine, in general... (Cries with regret.) At Vasnetsov’s painting “The Frog Princess”:

- Well, from what fairy tale? Who remembers? - From any. - Well, from any of them? In what fairy tale did she dance and perform miracles? - "The Snow Queen"! From Vasnetsov’s painting “Baba Yaga”:

“Mom, we still need a mortar and a broom so we can go everywhere quickly.” And dad too. - Look at her nails. Scary, see? - Yes. - And what teeth! - Yes. - And hair. - Well, this is not the real Baba Yaga, is it? - Why not the real one? Real. - Why is she naked then? - She's not naked. This is her red sundress. Do you see? - (Disappointed.) Come on. At Maria Tregubova’s installation “Golden Fish”:

- O-o-o-o-o, ma-a-a-am! Fishy fish! - Goldfish, yes! - Big-a-a-a-a! - Big, yes, remember, the old man caught a fish and what he asked the fish? - I don’t remember! - Do you remember reading a fairy tale? - Yeees! - What did he ask the fish? - He... asked... He... In the toilet! In wardrobe

“I don’t remember what number we had there, but we’ll see.” So, Vitya, don’t leave me. So, for some reason I don’t see our things there... So. Interesting. - Someone must have taken it away! - Who took it? - He took it away. The Gray Wolf took it away. “I just won’t go anywhere with you anymore.” I thought you were an adult. And you're not an adult! You're acting like a little girl. - I'm not small. I'm so tall! Do you see? Above everyone else she was here! At the exit

“Can you stand still for at least five minutes?” Why are you acting like a monkey? Already frayed all my nerves! - I didn’t talk! “You’ll be sitting with grandma, then!” - (Frightened.) No! Mom, not with grandma! - And no phone! (Quickly walks forward.) - Well, ma-a-am! (Runs after her.) No, let him go with grandma, let him! Mom, maybe with grandma, but with the phone! Mom, let him go with grandma!

The exhibition “Russian Fairy Tale” will run until September 13.

Photo: Yulia Zakharova / Tretyakov Gallery

Where and when can you visit the exhibition of Viktor Vasnetsov, taking place until the beginning of May 2021 in Moscow

The exhibition, which combines fascinating interactive projects with works by artists from different eras, can be seen by visiting the gallery building called “New Tretyakov Gallery” at the address: Moscow, st. Krymsky Val, 10.

Project “Russian Fairy Tale. From Vasnetsov until now” will be available for visiting until May 10, 2021 on the following days of the week:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday – from 10-00 to 18-00;
• Thursday, Friday, Saturday – from 10-00 to 21-00.

The entrance doors are closed to visitors one hour before the end of the exhibition gallery's working day.

The highlight of the exhibition of Viktor Vasnetsov, held in the New Tretyakov Gallery

According to the creators of the exhibition, the composition conveys the integration of folklore and folk motifs through painting, graphic images, cinema and animation. Each visitor to the exhibition will be able not only to physically explore fairy-tale works, but also to create their own magical story.

The exhibition, located within the walls of the New Tretyakov building, includes performances, master classes, film screenings, listening to fairy tales and other exciting events in its program.

One of the unusual highlights of the composition are Instagram masks . They represent the revived canvases of not only Viktor Vasnetsov, but also Ilya Repin. Employees of the international studio Avocado Toast worked on the creation of Instagram masks as part of a multimedia project. For greater realism and to reflect the characteristic techniques of Russian artists, a large-scale study of their works was carried out.

Insta-masks of six different fairy-tale characters will be available only to those who follow the Tretyakov Gallery’s Instagram account.

The creators of the project tried to reveal as accurately as possible the images of mythical creatures and fictional characters that fill the works of Russian folklore. Among them are Koschey the Immortal, Ivan Tsarevich, Firebird, Little Mermaid, Frog Princess, Serpent Gorynych and many others. Having translated them into an interactive format, the creators of the exhibition “Russian Fairy Tale. From Vasnetsov until now,” not only created an environment that allows adult visitors to the exhibition to plunge into the world of childhood. But they also laid the foundation to attract the attention of as many representatives of the younger generation as possible to Russian folklore.

Sections

Works are published in the gallery after passing moderation.

REGULATIONS on the VII International Illustration Competition “Fairy tales of the peoples of Russia and the world through the eyes of children” ( fairy tales of the Sultanate of Oman)

1. General provisions. These Regulations on the seventh competition in the series of international illustration competitions “Fairy tales of the peoples of Russia and the world through the eyes of children” (hereinafter referred to as the Competition) determine the procedure for organizing and conducting the Competition, the criteria for selecting works, the composition of participants, partners, the procedure for awarding winners and prize-winners.
2. The theme of the Competition is illustrating TALES OF THE SULTANATE OF OMAN.
3. The competition is held as part of the program for educating the younger generation, implemented by the Association of Russian Diplomats, the Center for Patriotic Education of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Union of Teachers and Artists on the basis of the corresponding state strategy.
4. The organizers of the competition are:

• All-Russian public organization “Association of Russian Diplomats”;
• Center for Patriotic Education of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• International Union of Teachers and Artists.

Competition support:

• MGIMO Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia;
• Russian Academy of Arts.

Competition Partner:

• Chain of children's clothing stores "BebaKids"

2. Organizing Committee of the Competition.

2.1. Personal composition:

Chairman of the Organizing Committee:

M.L. Bogdanov - deputy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Deputy Chairmen of the Organizing Committee:

V.E. Egoshkin is a member of the Writers' Union of Russia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats;

I.A. Loginov - Deputy Head of the Center for Patriotic Education of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Vice-Rector for Social and Educational Work at MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia;

M.K. Astafieva is the executive director of the International Union of Teachers and Artists.

Chairman of the competition jury:

Z.K. Tsereteli - President of the Russian Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, professor.

2.2. Functions of the Organizing Committee:

• determines and controls the general procedure for conducting the competition;
• approves the composition of the jury;
• summarizes and analyzes the results of the competition, awards the winners;
• holds exhibitions of the best works;
• The organizers of the competition reserve the right to include representatives of organizations supporting the Competition into the Organizing Committee.

3. Main goals and objectives of the Competition.

3.1. The competition is aimed at:

• nurturing in the younger generation understanding and respect for the cultural traditions of other peoples, readiness to maintain relations of friendship and cooperation with representatives of different countries;
• developing a deeper understanding of the culture of one’s own people;
• instilling a sense of kindness, justice, humanism, and other positive universal qualities;
• development of creative individuality and social activity;
• encouraging research skills, interest in acquiring new knowledge, broadening one’s horizons;
• acquiring useful skills in the field of book graphics, illustration, and creating book covers.

4. Competition concept.

Each fairy tale is a world full of travel, adventure and magical mysteries. The child is a participant in amazing events, so fascinating that a fairy tale becomes the best teacher and an inexhaustible source of new knowledge - about other countries, peoples, their national customs, traditions, costumes, legends. Studying fairy tales of the peoples of the world from childhood fosters interest in folk art, respect for people of other nationalities, and develops a desire to learn and improve oneself. Fairy tales are the most popular subject of children's drawings; Children, without any assignments, love to draw their favorite heroes and their adventures. And, for sure, every child dreams of his own book, in which his favorite fairy tale will be illustrated by himself. Our task is to make this dream come true. The competition is designed for children to consistently study fairy tales from different peoples of the world and create illustrations for future CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF FAIRY TALES, the illustrators of which will be young artists - winners of this Competition. When evaluating children's works, special attention will be paid to reproducing details of national life, costume, and traditions. The competition will be an interesting and educational activity for little researchers and future travelers.

5. Participants of the Competition.

5.1. Children and teenagers of Russia and foreign countries aged 5 to 18 years are allowed to participate in the Competition.

6. The procedure for organizing and conducting the Competition.

1. The competition begins on November 1, 2021. Theme of the illustrations: fairy tales of the Sultanate of Oman. The texts of fairy tales in Russian will be posted on the portal
2. Works are submitted for the Competition in electronic form, applications are accepted in the online gallery until March 1, 2021.
3. Public check for plagiarism.
4. Jury work.
5. Layout and publication of the book “Tales of the Sultanate Through the Eyes of Children.”
6. Postal delivery of the original works of the winners and laureates of the Competition to Moscow. Submitted creative works are not returned and are not reviewed.
7. Holding an exhibition and awards ceremony.

7. Stages of the Competition:

· Electronic stage (11/1/2019-03/1/2020): participants of the competition create creative works and send electronic copies to the online gallery of the competition. A work published in the online gallery on the website is considered accepted for participation in the competition. Works are published in the online gallery after passing moderation, within 10 working days after submitting the work.

· Evaluation (March 2021): review and determination of winners and laureates by members of the international Jury. Lists of laureates and winners are published in open sources only after the book has been published.

· Preparatory (March-May 2021): postal delivery of the works of the winners and laureates of the Competition to Moscow (upon notification of the organizers), preparation of the final exhibition, preparation of certificates of participants and winners of the competition; preparation for publication of the book “Tales of the Sultanate Through the Eyes of Children.”

· Final (May 2021): opening of the final exhibition, presentation of certificates and prizes to the winners, presentation of the book.

8. Requirements for the design of creative works

1. Works submitted for the Competition must be illustrations of the fairy tales of the Sultanate of Oman presented by the competition organizers.
2. The works of the seventh Competition illustrate fairy tales of the Sultanate of Oman. They should represent national clothing and the nature of the country whose tales are illustrated at this stage of the Competition.
3. Participants of the Competition submit drawings made in painting or graphic art techniques.
4. When evaluating drawings, the following are taken into account: imagery and originality of the concept, a creative approach to the disclosure of the topic, and reflection of cultural characteristics.

9. Technical requirements for works accepted for the Competition

1. Drawings are sent electronically to the Competition Gallery on the website www.art-teachers.ru
2. Works are accepted in scanned form, in JPEG format. The recommended size is no more than 2Mb, the file name must consist of letters and numbers, without special characters or punctuation marks.
3. The winners' drawings (by prior notification!) are sent electronically by e-mail in scanned form, in JPEG format, with a resolution of at least 600 dpi in both black and white and color images.

10. Work evaluation criteria

10.1. A creative approach to the disclosure of the topic, independence and depth of concept;

10.2. Artistic performance, the ability to use expressive means of illustration to achieve the concept (line, spot, stroke, composition, etc.);

10.3. Attention to the details of national life, costume, and traditions of illustrating fairy tales in the chosen country.

11. Terms of publication and provision of information

1. Submitted materials are published on the website art-teachers.ru in a Gallery created specifically for the competition.
2. When using materials from the Competition and about the Competition posted on the Organizers' websites, a link to the source of information is required.
3. The works of the winners of the Competition can be further used by the Organizers in methodological and information publications, in the design of book editions of fairy tales of the peoples of the world, other publications, submitted for participation in other exhibitions and competitions, and posted on websites indicating the author. The Organizers also have the right to use works for advertising purposes.

12. Summing up and awarding the winners

12.1. The winners of the Competition are awarded diplomas, medals “Young Artist-Diplomat”, books “Tales of the Sultanate of Oman”. The laureates of the Competition are awarded diplomas and books “Tales of the Sultanate of Oman”.

12.2. The time and place of the award ceremony and the final exhibition will be announced additionally.

13. Information sponsors

“International Life”, International online educational magazine “ArtTeacher”.
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