A photography museum will be opened in Vitebsk on June 23 during the Sigizmund Yurkovsky International Photo Festival "PhotoKrok," as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the forum's art director, Vasily Prudnikov.
A photography museum will be opened in Vitebsk on June 23 during the Sigizmund Yurkovsky International Photo Festival "PhotoKrok," as reported to a BELTA correspondent by the forum's art director, Vasily Prudnikov.
The museum will also bear the name of a renowned 19th-century photographer. It will be located in the historical centre of the city at 7 Tolstoy Street. Visitors will be able to view exhibition displays, observe the magic unfolding in the "dark" room, enjoy a cup of aromatic coffee, and have their photograph taken in a vintage studio, receiving a picture in the style of 19th-century Vitebsk photo studios. Its exhibition concept will be presented as "From Camera Obscura to Digital Pixels."
"The Sigizmund Yurkovsky Museum of Photography will be a logical and worthy continuation of the city's museum development concept to immortalise the names of famous citizens who have brought fame to Vitebsk worldwide," said Vasily Prudnikov.
According to him, it will become not just a repository of photographic art and a research centre, but also a new space for urban life. Those who donate an old camera, print, or photo album will become honorary patrons of the museum and receive a commemorative certificate.
The "PhotoKrok" festival will take place from June 20 to 24. Over 100 participants are expected from Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Israel, and the USA. This year would have marked Sigizmund Yurkovsky's 185th birthday, and his great invention, the focal-plane shutter, would have been 135 years old.
"We have invited photographers to participate in the festival competition 'Origins' and submit pictures embodying the concept of 'My Small Homeland.' The exhibition program is also dedicated to the theme of the small homeland. In particular, there will be an exhibition of photographs by Leonid Tugalev from Riga. His parents were born in Vitebsk, and this will be only the second time in his over 70 years of life that he visits their small homeland," noted the festival's art director.
An exhibition of works by photographer Oleg Klimov from Kaliningrad is also planned. Another Russian photojournalist, Vladimir Vyatkin, will present his works in Vitebsk for the first time to an audience, works that the master has been preparing throughout his life.
"The festival's exclusive feature will be the original one-photograph exhibition "Runner in the City" by El Lissitzky (1926) from the collection of the cultural project "RUSSPRESSPHOTO" - the editorial archive of the "Sovetskoye Foto" magazine. It is symbolic that the exhibition will be displayed directly in the building of the Museum of the Vitebsk People's Art School, where Lissitzky worked in 1919-1921 at the invitation of Marc Chagall. Another highlight of the program will be the exhibition "Medalye Family Photograph. 19th Century, Vitebsk". It is dedicated to the family of Shmaryahu-Leib Medalye (1872 – 1938) - the spiritual rabbi of Vitebsk, the chief rabbi of Moscow and the Soviet Union. The uniqueness of this collection lies in the fact that it features photographs of family members taken by all the first photographers of Vitebsk in the late 19th century, including Sigismund Yurkovsky," explained Vasily Prudnikov.
The festival program also includes a number of other exhibitions, master classes, lectures, creative meetings, competitions, and various activities. Photographers will have the opportunity to photograph the city from the town hall observation deck. Aspiring colleagues will be able to present their work to experts and receive an assessment. Following the competition-festival, the exhibition "PhotoWalk through Vitebsk" will traditionally be assembled – the result of the festival participants' shooting of the city, its residents, and guests.
As Vasily Prudnikov noted, the main objective of the festival is to showcase a high level of photographic culture to the audience through exhibitions of both classics of photography and the best works of contemporary amateur photographers on a competitive basis.
"PhotoKrok" traditionally brings together participants and guests during the City Day celebrations. This is the third forum of photographers. The first one was held in 2016.
The festival was organised by the Vitebsk Local Photography Fund "PhotoKrok". Support was provided by the parliamentary group of the House of Representatives, the culture department of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, public and cultural organisations, educational and cultural institutions, and a number of commercial companies.