The 1st «Astra» International Illustration Festival ended in Kazan
On August 27 and 28 «Moskovsky» Cultural Center (Kazan) hosted the 1st Astra International Festival of Illustration with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. As part of the festival, Kazan citizens and guests of the capital visited more than 15 events: lectures by recognized experts from Moscow and Kazan in the field of art, master classes and a round table with the participation of art critics, representatives of art education, as well as professionals in this field, an exhibition with the best works of the participants, a market with the participation of a book publisher, illustrators and shops of designer clothing and jewelry.
The festival was the result of an online competition. Applications were received from 188 illustrators from different regions of Russia and other countries: Armenia, Belarus, Great Britain, Italy, Estonia. At the end of the festival, the winners were announced.
Elena Afanasyeva (Russia, Tarusa/Kaluga) became the winner in the nomination «Best Book Illustration», Alena Volkova (Estonia, Tallinn) won in in the nomination «Best Author's Project», Varvara Obshivalkina (Russia, Moscow) won in the nomination «Best illustrated media material», Vladislava Dolzhenko (Russia, Krasnodar) became the winner in the «Best Commercial Illustration». Ekaterina Gushchina (Russia, Nizhny Novgorod) received a special prize in the nomination «Best Author's Project».
«We hope that our festival will find its niche among the festivals that support illustrators and open the way to new acquaintances and contacts, which will contribute to the formation of a professional community of illustrators. We will definitely respond and continue our work if the festival is in demand among creative people» comments the Head of the «Moskovsky» Cultural Center Nailya Mustafina.
«Such festivals should be organized also in Kazan, because there is a wonderful art school named after Feshin. We have an artistic environment brought up through the decades, a biennale of graphics and a biennale of illustration, which in many respects clarify professional issues. This creates the professional community, giving opportunities for development and bringing a sense of being in demand. For artists, this can become the key feeling, encouraging them to further experiments. The festival is organized precisely in order to analyze the current situation in this area and make artists feel needed. This is a good deed,» comments Elena Rymshina - art critic, curator of non-commercial exhibitions and projects, curator of the 1st category of the State Tretyakov Gallery and member of the jury of the festival.
After the festival, there will be an exhibition with the participants’ works. It can be visited from August 29 to October 25 in the ballroom of the «Moskovsky» Cultural Center. Also, the launch of the event's official website is expected soon, where the participants included in the long list will be able to present their portfolios and put up works for sale.
Social networks of the festival: https://vk.com/ccsmoskovsky
Photographer: Dmitry Chirkov
