Museum of street art (St. Petersburg, Highway of the Revolution, 84): opening, exhibitions and photos

The desire to capture their vision of the world on a stone surface was inherent in creative natures since the time of cavemen. Since then, people have changed a lot, but in any country in the world at all times there were those who tried to transform the walls or make a masterpiece from the fence. Another 30-40 years ago, street artists were arrested for vandalism, and their work was called a daub.

In our time, these people are called street art masters and at their disposal entire cities. Among them there are recognized artists who are invited to work in world capitals, and thousands of people see their pictures every day.

The Street Art Museum (St. Petersburg) allows not only to get acquainted with the new art form, but also unites creative people.

Amazing museum

Who would have thought that the cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, would not only give its streets to the artists, but would also create a museum for their creativity? This is an unprecedented case of recognizing a new kind of art.

A few years ago, graffiti was banned all over the world, and the masters who owned this technique were fined for damaging public property. Today, residents of cities were able to assess how much the shape of their houses is changing if paintings appear on them.

So the world is arranged that it always contains those who want to turn gray concrete and stone into a bright and colorful creation. Thanks to such talented activists, the dirty facades of houses turn into picture galleries in the open air.

The Street Art Museum was founded in 2012 on the territory of a factory of laminated plastics. Once the largest production in the USSR for the production of finishing materials for metro escalators, elevators and trains in the dashing 90's became unprofitable and closed.

The idea to create on such a large space, filled with workshops and gray peeling walls, the street art museum (address: Highway of Revolution, 84) came to investors of a once unprofitable enterprise during the creative party of graffiti masters. In 2012, the legal registration of the event took place, but it took almost 2 more years to realize the idea. During this period, the concept of the future museum was formulated, artists were found and the direction of its development was determined.

So in 2014, the opening of the museum of street art exhibition Casus Pacis, which was attended by more than 60 artists from different countries. This event became resonant in the art world, as it enabled the novice graffiti artists to show their talents, because any person can submit an online application for participation in the museum expositions, providing the organizers with information about themselves and examples of their work.

At present the museum of street art consists of two parts:

1. A permanent exposition is located on the territory of a working plant of laminated plastics. It includes not only the works of famous masters, but also paintings of young talented artists, which every year becomes more and more.
2. The public site is provided for temporary exhibitions and various creative events.

The Museum of Street Art (St. Petersburg) is popular even among young people, far from fine art. The plant's territory has become both a creative workshop and a place for young people.

Excursions around the museum

Naturally, the best time to get acquainted with the museum's expositions is the period from spring to autumn. Winter does not have much to go to the festivities at the factory workshops, however, two excursions are held here every weekend.

At 13.00 the guide leads guests to the part of the plant where the permanent collection is exhibited. The story is about both the authors of the works and the concept they wanted to convey to their viewers.

At 14:00 a tour of the last works of the masters, which are constantly replenished with new compositions. One should not think that the museum of street art is devoted only to wall painting. Here you can get acquainted with the works of young sculptors, graphic artists and installation masters.

The entrance to the museum is paid for - 350 rubles. Usual ticket, 250 - preferential. Entry into the territory of the plant located on the Highway of the Revolution, 84, is prohibited in wheelchairs, as it is an active enterprise where safety measures should be observed.

Events related to the museum

In the warm season, the life of an unusual museum is filled with numerous events. Here, concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, master classes from leading professionals of street art, festivals and lectures are held. In winter, the events do not stop, only they are transferred to suitable places.

For example, the presentation of the technical director of the museum, which described all the difficulties and deadlines that accompany every exhibition, was extremely interesting. For a short period of the museum's existence, more than a hundred authors showed their talent on the territory of the laminated plastics plant (Highway of the Revolution, 84).

To implement their creative ideas, completely different materials were needed: from construction debris to build a raft and a 90-meter banner to burnt boards for installation. All questions on the search and delivery of the necessary "props" for artists are decided by the technical director of the museum, Alexander Mushchenko.

No less interesting are the master classes, designed for the public of different ages. Children here will be taught how to make a handsome kite with their own hands, and beginners to draw space with the help of an airbrush. Simultaneously, the master works with four students, teaching them how to create an unusual picture of outer space on a canvas measuring 40x30 cm. The cost of these master classes is 1500 rubles, but it is necessary to register on them in advance, since they only take place 3 times a week for 2 lessons a day, and there are many who want to create their space world on canvas.

In general, the museum of street art - it's something more than showing wall paintings to all comers. This is a creative workshop where young people reveal their potential, learn all the facets of their abilities and let the world into their lives.

Educational programs of the museum

To share talent is the vocation of any creative person. That is why eminent masters from different countries come to the address of the Highway of the Revolution, the museum of street art, in order to acquaint all comers with the techniques that they own in painting, drawing or sculpture.

This place is the only creative workshop in the world where the newest kind of art is taught. But in addition, the site of the museum becomes an "arena" for stormy discussions about the mission of street art, its further development and what it should give the world around. It is in such disputes that ideas arise for the following works or exhibitions.

Each project, embodied in the factory, where the museum of street art, was an event for the whole city.

Projects of the museum: "The Fifth Element"

As a rule, artists who collaborate with the museum embody their ideas not only on its territory, but also on the scale of the city. For example, the project "The Fifth Element" is dedicated to combating evil through education. His main acting "face" was Lyceum # 1, around which four important elements - creativity, energy, science and nature - were located around the firewalls (the blank walls of buildings made of fireproof materials) of four neighboring houses.

Each element was embodied in the life of a separate artist. So the nature has got to the master from Perm Alexander Zhunevu. The theme of creativity was embodied by the artist and graphic artist from Poland Kreemos. The theme of energy was revealed by the Muscovite Akue, and science by the illustrator from St. Petersburg Floksy.

Each artist has his own vision of the element that he inherited and the technique of writing it, but they are all united.

Art-landing

The idea of reincarnation of the city with the help of thematic projects from the museum of street art was so appealing to the townspeople and its authorities that 4 more buildings were given to the masters for creative experiments.

This time the theme was sports and music. So on the buildings there was a cyclist ("Speed"), football players (the picture "Cause"), a dudar and piano keys. What is significant, artists who have entered into creative excitement can rarely stop at what has been achieved. This time they went beyond the program, the nearby hotel, the courtyard of the polyclinic and the lyceum were transformed.

Uniqueness of shop Х1

Another creative project of the museum is the provision of a legal platform for all who wish to show their abilities for street art. For this purpose, an abandoned workshop X1 was chosen, in the eleven rooms of which there are 1500 m2 of old dilapidated walls.

To date, it presents more than 30 works by beginning artists and the mastering of the workshop space is just beginning. All images differ in different styles and techniques of performance, and the plot reveals themes that are closest to the authors.

Thus, the old corps acquires a new life, the voices of people are heard again, but now these are not workers who produce plastic, but creators and their fans.

Exhibition "Reason for Peace"

The first exhibition in 2014, organized on the territory of the street art museum, was originally dedicated to the theme "100 years since the beginning of the First World War", but the events taking place in the modern world proved to be much more important for the masters, so the scope of the topic was greatly expanded.

It was attended by 62 people who turned the public site of the museum into a creative workshop for sculptors, graphic artists and artists. The main concept of the exhibition was the disclosure of the potential of a small person to a large city and its streets.

Within the framework of the event there were discussions on these topics and a music festival. As always, the unusual attracts a lot of curious, so that the opening of the museum did not go unnoticed by both the townspeople and representatives of the creative intelligentsia.

"Remember tomorrow"

The success of the event, which opened the "gateway" to an unusual museum, inspired his curators and masters on the following topics. So in 2015, all previous works in the public part of the museum were removed, and a new exhibition "Remember Tomorrow" was found there.

25 masters from different cities of Russia took part in it, opening their vision of the future in the world to the general public. What is attractive for such events is that they are in constant development, because while the public admires ready-made street masterpieces and installations, the masters continue to paint new works.

The value of the museum of street art

It is difficult to overestimate what the curators of the museum are doing to develop the creative potential of Russian youth. Created first for the masters of street art, it became a "home" for representatives of all creative professions. Declare yourself to the world, get recognition, that's what young people want, and they get this opportunity in the walls of the old factory.