Modern Style Nature: An Art Project by Teenagers from Belarus, Germany, and France Presented in Vitebsk

An exhibition showcasing the results of an open-air painting session, held as part of the 6th International Summer Art School, opened at the Marc Chagall Art Center in Vitebsk on September 20. The classes, attended by 25 teenagers aged 14-16 from Belarus, Germany, and France, took place in August in Polotsk, at the local children's art school.

The International Summer Art School is a project of the Vitebsk Marc Chagall Museum, which has been running since 2007. Its students are traditionally gifted young people from different countries. The school's curriculum is based on the synthesis of various forms of creativity – visual arts, choreography, and acting. Professional artists, choreographers, and actors share their experience with teenagers in creative workshops. For instance, in 2008, the participants visited the "backstage" of the Vitebsk "Lyalka" Puppet Theatre, where they had the opportunity to create their own puppets. Two years later, the open-air painting session was held at the Ilya Repin Museum-Estate "Zdravnevo," where young artists depicted their musical associations on paper with brushes and pencils, and also fantasized in the garden, using trees as art objects.

The final performance serves as a unique graduation "exam" for the students. For example, on one occasion, students of the Summer Art School depicted the four elements of nature – fire, air, earth, and water.

This year's classes were dedicated to the Art Nouveau style, characterized by the rejection of straight lines and angles in favor of more natural, organic lines. Young artists from three countries studied various painting and graphic techniques and created a joint creative project, "The World of Living Nature in Visual Art."

Tatyana Matveeva / photos: Igor Matveev