Public art and design program «Art Koltsovo». Yekaterinburg airport, Russia.

Art-Koltsovo / «ILLUMINATORS» Open call
An International open competition to take part in the exhibition
«ILLUMINATORS»

Deadline ­ March 11, 2008
Exhibition opening ­ April 11, 2008

Yekaterinburg «Koltsovo» airport announces the beginning of the
international exhibition project «ILLUMINATORY» which will be shown in April
­ June 2008 in the open spaces of the International terminal of the airport.
The works for the exhibitions will be selected on a competitive basis by an
international award panel.
The organizers invite the artists to submit digital prints and digital video
in the form of «tondo» to the competition.
The exhibition «ILLUMINATORS» opens the «Art-Koltsovo» program.

The exhibition
The exhibition will show modern versions of «tondo» ­ the form of pictures
with ancient traditions.
We accept electronic files of works which can be reproduced by the
organizers like as digital prints, light boxes, video objects/installations
and video projections,. The organizers are going to challenge the interior
environment of the international terminal of «Koltsovo» airport. Visually
the exposition will be represented by numerous round spots of lights
«floating/hovering» free in the airport cubage.

Participants
Any artists working in the field of new media are invited.

Works of art
Digital graphics, digital photos, digital animation, video objects, video
installation, single-channel video.

Concept.
In Russian an «illuminator» (port hole, bull¹s eye) is a round window
onboard a ship, airplane, space station.
The concept of the project is based on the round shape of the exhibited
works of art. This formal principle
is closely connected with on the one hand the image of aircrafts and air
travels (till recently planes have had round bull¹s eyes); on the other hand
it plastically continues and supports the idea of the round plafonds in the
foyer of the terminal where the exposition will be installed. Here the
formal aspects of concept close down the meaning of the word ILLUMINATORS in
the majority of European languages, where the Latin word means a lighting
unit, a source of light, a screen, somebody or something shedding light,
lighting and also an artist illustrating/decorating manuscripts. That¹s why
ILLUMINATORS are not only works of art but also those creating them ­
artists.
A round is the most harmonious shape, a fundamental archetypical sign
offering a vast variety of associations. One of its most obvious meanings is
the world. In this case ILLUMINATOR is an artist¹s worldview projection or
worldview magnifying glass or «window» into artist¹s world.
The exposition of «ILLUMINATORS» exhibition visually and conceptually
coincide with the name of the airport «Koltsovo» («koltso» is Russian for a
«ring»; ring ­ round). The exhibition will be opened on the eve of the Day
of Cosmonautics. Russian cosmonautics started in «Koltsovo» as the first jet
engines were tested here.
The project is aimed to create a positive, emotionally rich environment in
the waiting rooms of the international terminal. Besides the exhibition
provides the passengers and guests of the airport with the recent
achievements of international contemporary art.


Curator: Arseny Sergeev
A media artist, curator and organizer of noumerous public art festivals and
projects. His main curatorial projects are series of leaflet action
«Agitation for art» (2000-2001), the festival of video art on the city
screens «OUTVIDEO» (2003-2007), the festival of monumental painting of
concrete fences «Long Stories of Yekaterinburg» (2002-2007), the festival of
modern Dutch art on Yekaterinburg (2003), exhibition tour through Russia «30
years of Dutch video art» (2004-2005), the monument to a computer keypad
«Klava» in Yekaterinburg (2005).

«Art Koltsovo» program
«Art-Koltsovo» is the first strategic long-term program in Russian air
industry aimed at introduction of works of art and designs inside the
international «Koltsovo» airport and in its adjacent territory.

The organizers of the program
International «Koltsovo» airport (Yekaterinburg, Russia) www.koltsovo.ru
International «Koltsovo» airport is one of the leading airports in Russia.
It cooperates with 65 Russian and foreign air companies which directly link
Yekaterinburg with many cities of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Having
implemented a large-scale reconstruction with the help of its strategic
investor Group of companies «RENOVA», «Koltsovo» will be able to become
highly competitive with metropolitan airports and will become an ultimately
convenient hub for the main air passenger flow and freight traffic in the
country.

Program support
Ministry of International and External Economic Relations of Sverdlovsk
Oblast
Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Sverdlovsk Oblast
ANPMO «Institution of Corporate Development» of the RENOVA Group of
Companies

Program operator
Artpolitika agency http://www.artpolitika.ru
The agency specializes in development and organization of contemporary art
(public art) programs and projects in public spaces.

More information, the conditions of participation in the «Illuminators»
project and applications are available on project website:
http://www.artpolitika.ru/illuminators

Contacts
Arseny Sergeev ­ curator, arseny@artpolitika.ru ,
+7 (343) 374 73 18, +7 (904) 985-90-40; skype: artpolitik
Nailya Allahverdieva ­ director of the program, nailya@artpolitika.ru ,
+7 (908) 917-31-15 skype: artpolitika
Julia Fedotova ­ PR Director «Koltsovo» airport, pr@koltsovo.ru ,
+7(343) 345-36-71