The State Award in Contemporary Art, "Innovation-2018," has announced its laureates, with honors going to artist Vladimir Logutov and curators Maria Kramar and Karen Sarkisov, according to the award’s press service.
The "Innovation" prize was awarded across seven competitive categories for projects completed in 2017 within the Russian Federation, as detailed in the official statement.
The award ceremony lasted only 47 minutes, and there were no speeches on stage. Instead, the event took the form of a psychotherapy and hypnosis session, aiming to explore how to create the "New." In complete darkness, from category to category, the audience was asked about their desires, fears, and dreams.
Ekaterina Kiboiskaya, Director of the Department for Special Projects and Development at Rosizo—whose comments were quoted by the press service—highlighted that this year’s jury recognized the exceptionally high level of the nominees. She noted, "If we look at current trends in contemporary art, we see a move towards synthesis and interdisciplinarity. Without a doubt, there are many young artists among the nominees."
Adding to the artistic diversity, Savva Saveliev, a playwright, director, and set designer, was also recognized for his remarkable contributions to contemporary theatre.
According to her, the organizers are pleased with the jury’s choices, as they reflect the entire palette of contemporary art.
She also mentioned that the ceremony served as a kind of "session of new achievements." Since it took place at the Theatre of Nations, an immersive performance was specially created for the occasion—an experience that will never be repeated.