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International Art project

Baikal-CeraMystica

Russia, lake Baikal, Olkhon island, Khuzhir village

phone in Irkutsk (Russia)

8914-902-2524

June-August 2019

Symposium is a journey through time and space, moreover it is time and space in itself, where the concentrate of rich knowledge, experience and atmosphere of strong excitement of human essence is encapsulated; this may appear as a mystery of a religious ritual to the outsider.

In the contemporary world symposiums can be considered as echoes of the collectivist nature of ceramics, the product of transformation of pottery in a relatively independent branch of visual arts. While being one of the oldest crafts, pottery always indicates the culture and history of the society in which it is produced.

The plasticity and capability of ceramic material to capture and display the changes in the development of civilization and culture attracts and unites artists. Ceramist’s touch to the material is the embodiment of relationship between moment and eternity that transforms feelings, emotions and experiences into a shaped materialized space.

Unlike the European school of ceramics that has developed under the influence of design thus giving the major importance to the shape, Russian ceramics, as well as ceramics of all Eastern European region, has always been original with a philosophical and sensual depth, as well as continuous reintegration of images and stylistics of folk art and local mythology on the way of its development.

The fact that the largest Russian project in the field of contemporary ceramics is carried out in Baikal is unique but at the same time very natural, because already in the 90s of the twentieth century the vivid Siberian school of ceramics had loudly declared about itself. In this situation, the Baikal serves as a true point of common ground for Western and Eastern cultures and is the best place for the creative dialogue.

In today's world pottery is introduced by another additional feature: by interacting with painting, sculpture, etc., it is able to cross the boundaries of traditional classification of art critics, thus forming a synthesis of various spheres and historic styles of fine arts, at the same time preserving the originality of embodiment of all the knowledge and skills of artist.

Baikal-CeraMystica is currently the most significant event in the field of ceramic art in Russia that contributes to the formation of an adequate self-awareness of national contemporary ceramics. This is also a unique opportunity to raise self-esteem for the abovementioned space that fixates the development of cultural history.

 

Valentin Petjko, artist, artcritic, Daugavpils, Latvia