What's so real Permian in the festival?
This year, for the first time an exhibition of the Permian artists "Art Against Geography." This is a young, wildly interesting guys that actually raised Perm. And it's funny that this show is a direct continuation of a conversation that began almost five years ago. The fact is that after the opening of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art at me immediately collapsed shaft critics all started complaining, why do not we put out the Permian artists and when it will happen. To this I would reply: "Never. Do not ask of art residence. Imagine, in Perm will store that sold only books Permian writers. Whom will he need? "And today, to vote, we exhibited at the Museum of Perm! And this is a fundamentally new people with a high level of cultural development.
What more can be seen at the festival?
All three weeks of "White Nights" painted the eyeballs. On the whole drama is this: in the first week of the emphasis is on the visual arts, open exhibition, show public art. The second week is devoted to the Permian creativity. In the heart of the festival, June 12, begins the same "Live Perm ': people celebrate the Day of the City - Perm marks 290 years. We thought so: the birthday invite friends and decided to give gifts. Our gift will be our guests - we are taking the project "Russian abroad": artists from different cities congratulate Perm. Generally, in our country with the closest contacts abroad usually go through official lines, so citizens are most likely to ethnographic festivals such as "Day of Ukrainian dumpling." And we show contemporary art in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the United States and European countries. This new format is unique. Kiev will present an exhibition and concert, New York will present Cartoon Festival, Berlin, Jerusalem and Paris will show exhibitions of their artists. London presents an exhibition of photographs Russian fashion designers and a concert by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev.
The last week of the festival is divided into a theatrical, musical and literary pieces.
For what else should go in Perm?
I am very proud that this year we will do the most ambitious exhibition of public art in Russia. But even if you go from the particular to the general, then, in my opinion, is here to go to it to see how the project has changed Perm situation in the country. We have changed the attitude to culture not only ordinary citizens but also among officials. Now it is clear that you can control not only through orders and arrests. When people understand the meaning of what is happening when they feel that they are treated like human beings, everything becomes much easier and more interesting.
Look, the original festival "Live Perm" was held just five days. In the second year of this festival came to us seven thousand men. Then the now former governor of the Perm region, Oleg Chirkunov offered to stretch the festival for a month, to increase the flow of tourists. And then there was a surprising: we waited for about 150,000 people, and arrived just 30,000, but we do not have time to be upset, as the data came, how many people have passed through the main gate of the festival - one million two hundred thousand. In Perm, according to official statistics, the population of one million.
I've been doing a lot of different festivals. In 90 years in Moscow, when all the polls went to all the cultural events, the maximum number of people at the site was barely twenty thousand. For us "Picnic Posters" - a breakthrough, because it came fifty thousand people. And then suddenly - a million!
Why did it happen?
I think we have found a balance between entertainment and art, in fact the majority of people are coming to the festival for entertainment, but in the process they attend trade shows, listen to music, including classical, see the works of contemporary artists. The second important point that the festival became a family. I think it works here is a guileless stuff. The family of a man is always guilty of something: leaving on a fishing trip with friends at school do not attend parent-teacher conferences, to the grocery store can not walk. And then suddenly the festival, you can go with your family and fun to spend with his wife and child all weekend. The child is happy, wife is happy - everyone is happy. Therefore, we are particularly important children's program, which begins in the afternoon, not at night. And by the way, this was the reason why the festival is held in Perm without alcohol. It is not made to get drunk, because children's matinees do not drink.
It may be that the festival has become so popular, because at other times of the year and then go-nowhere Perm inhabitants?
On the one hand, yes. And the "White Nights" - a time when the city is in full swing in different activities. On the other - the city has a museum of modern art PERMM, a theater "Theatre", the Opera House, open year round.
I do believe that the "White Nights" is the prototype of our future life. All 12 months of life should boil the whole of Russia, just like in June in Perm. We'll just show an example. It is also the fact that in our country is quite large emigration. Not only the political situation in the country has forced people to leave their city, and more people are leaving because they are bored. Here we have this and try to avoid boredom. In past years, the Perm region administration conducted a study and found that in 2008, out of the area wanted to leave 60%of young people aged 18-30 years. A year and a half ago - only 11%. Unfortunately, I do not know what is happening now. The administration has been replaced, the polls are no longer carried out.
This means that the current governor does not participate in the festival?
This is not the case. "White Nights" are so important to the city, which is headed by the chairman of the organizing committee of the festival's provincial government. Well, the personal contribution Basargina I think part in the festival in Yekaterinburg, where he came from. And it's cool, because initially Ekaterinburg very jealous of Perm region. After all, formerly Sverdlovsk Russia and gave the world a new culture, and there's some kind of changes? In short, we had a complicated relationship. So part of Yekaterinburg association "Where dogs run" and the group "Christmas decorations" in "White Nights" - Basargina merit.
Since the last governor you were just friends. And what level of relationship established with Basargin?
Exceptional work. He realized that the city needed Festival. He's heard it all and has delegated to the government. He is more concerned with economic issues, as well as from the cultural sphere distanced.
If he distanced himself from the cultural sphere, what has caused an open letter Basargina Union of Artists, published recently in the "News"?
The Union of artists - an archaic structure, which was formed in the Soviet Union. These people live by the rules that I'm not interested. I have not worked with them, and spoke exclusively with specific artists. This letter refers to the newspaper "Izvestia" and not to the situation in Perm. Believe me, the governor receives daily letters demanding to dismiss Gelman. These letters come in batches. And the same requirements prosecutorial investigation.
Of course, I do not have carte blanche: Chirkunov no longer works in Perm. After all, he did not say anything in advance, not censored, came to the event on the opening day, surprised or indignant with them. Now - a solid bureaucracy. These are the most "new conditions." Of course, it is very difficult to work in such conditions, and my staff at the museum are crying about the prosecutorial investigation. (There were seven for the year. And at the Art Gallery - not one.) But now I have an answer for all those who used to say that we are "sawing budget", I just send them to the results of inspections.
.....
