Exhibition of student posters dedicated to the 100th anniversary of UNOVIS opens in Vitebsk

An exhibition of works from the International Poster Competition "UNOVIS. 21st Century" for students opens today at the Vitebsk Centre of Modern Art (VCMA).

An exhibition of works from the International Poster Competition "UNOVIS. 21st Century" for students opens today at the Vitebsk Centre of Modern Art (VCMA), as reported to BELTA by the VCMA.

The hundred works by participants embody the transformations of UNOVIS's visual language, showcasing the history of the movement and a free interpretation of Malevich's ideas' influence on contemporary design and art. "Today, a poster is not only, or even primarily, a means of information, but also a free creative laboratory for the constantly evolving visual language in art and design. It is a relevant visual code that absorbs the most diverse trends and directions in art and beyond," the centre noted.

One of the competition's nominations included developing a concept for the design of a Vitebsk tram. The winners will have the opportunity to implement their ideas on the city's actual trams.

The International Poster Competition for the 100th anniversary of UNOVIS was held from September 20, 2019, to January 20, 2020. Works were submitted by 149 participants from 15 countries. The competition was initiated by the Vitebsk State Technological University and the Museum of the History of the Vitebsk People's Art School with the support of the Department of Culture of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

This year, Belarus is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the avant-garde art association UNOVIS ("Affirmers of New Art"). It was founded on the initiative of Kazimir Malevich on February 14, 1920, by teachers and students of the Vitebsk People's Art School to promote innovative trends in art. The names of such renowned artists as El Lissitzky, Vera Ermolaeva, Lazar Khidekel, David Yekerson, Nina Kogan, Ilya Chashnik, and others are associated with UNOVIS. The school building has survived to this day. Since 2018, it has housed the Museum of the History of the Vitebsk People's Art School. For the preparation of its exhibition, the staff of the Vitebsk Centre for Modern Art was awarded the Special Prize of the President for figures in culture and art in January of this year.