Projects

The Ruarts Foundation presents Alex Partola’s project ‘Wall Elements 3’ – a new book exploring the works of street artists and their impact on development of the urban environment, as well as contemporary art in general, and the exhibition of the same name, to coincide with the book publication.

The third edition of ‘Wall Elements’ includes works by 21 street artists, demonstrating their creative growth and evolution from street practices to galleries and museums. The book issue comes ten years after the first album appeared, and offers readers a fresh cross-section of Russian street art, with details about the authors. This publication underlines the actuality and significance of street culture as a phenomenon that transforms the urban space, and at the same time influences public opinion.

«The active presence of the artist in the urban space, the presence of a recognizable personal artistic style and, of course, my subjective view played an important role in the selection of participants. A balanced and up-to-date lineup of 21 artists introduces the reader to the variety of approaches and techniques, so they can formulate their own preferences. Young and ambitious artists coexist with more experienced and established colleagues. The authors’ sections are created in a way that they can be further developed in the form of separate publications. Each artist presented a project, exploring themes relevant to their creative path and designing the first and the last pages of their own small book. I imposed no restrictions on the artists in choosing a format, but the image of the book itself, as a sketch book or artistic diary became one of the essential themes of the album and formed the basis of this edition.», – Alex Partola.

The ‘Wall Elements 3’ exhibition is not only the logical continuation of the book, but also of the Ruarts exhibition policy. One of the foundation’s goals is to support and promote participants in the Russian street wave movement. The exhibition gives a broader view of the authors featured in the book, showcasing their individual style and ability to create works for the gallery space. Visitors can get acquainted with the street practice of these artists through the book, and also see the works made specifically for our exhibition, directly within the walls of the Foundation.

Exhibition participants: 404, Alesha, Humor, Jon, Love Market, Oopslo, Dima Retro, Shozzy, Misha Suer, Tchertogov, Tkostan, Vladimir Abih, Stas Dobryj, Anastasiya Dunaeva, Oleg Kuznecov, Mishka, Heato, Ej CHuvachok, Matvej SHapiro, Kristina YA.

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Alex Partola was born in 1990 in Riga. In 2013, the artist graduated from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and from the British Higher School of Art and Design. Known as a photographer, graphic designer, curator and publisher. In 2012, together with Nikita Skryabin, he presented the Ghost in the Machine book, where he introduced a series of black and white photos of Moscow graffiti writers, taken while they were painting trains. The project was presented as part of the 10th International Photobiennale in Moscow. Partola is the author of the Wall Elements project and exhibition (2014), as well as of the first large-scale study of Russian street art from Kaliningrad to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and of the photo almanac of the same name – Wall Elements 2 (2018), implemented with the support of Ruarts Foundation for Contemporary Art. Alex Partola regularly participates in the Artmossphere Biennale of Street Wave Art. Lives and works in Moscow. Co-author of the project "City from the Dungeon" (2021) about the journey of Moscow artists to the catacombs of Paris. In 2022, he curated the project called “Section” and invited Alexei Luka and Matvey Shapiro as artists to reflect on the remains of the architectural monument of federal significance, the V. F. Snegirev’s mansion.