War Takes Centre Stage At Contemporary Art Exhibition In Moscow

Moscow: Ahead of May 9 Victory Day celebrations, Moscow unveils the exhibition "And I Saw a New Sky and a New Earth" at Zaryadye Park, just a few dozen meters from the Kremlin walls. The showcase brings together works across diverse genres and media - from traditional paintings, sculptures and graphic art to video installations, digital art, and even bulletproof vests.Curator Anon Belikov describes the exhibition as a tribute to the timeless figure of the Russian soldier. He said, "A man at war—it doesn’t matter when or where he fights. Whether he fought 80 years ago near Moscow against the Germans, whether he is fighting now for Russian land and Russian people in Ukraine, or whether he fought on the Borodino field against the French in 1812 — it’s all the same trajectory of the same Russian man. Times change, but people remain. And this exhibition is a story about the path of a man in war."Fitness coach Irina Dubova welcomed the shift toward contemporary themes. "It’s good that we finally have modern exhibitions, genuinely contemporary art. Art based on current events, not just the Great Patriotic War," she said.Copywriter Margarita Nechaeva found the imagery emotionally intense. "There are so many emotions here, and the imagery is quite heavy. I think the things depicted in these works are very difficult to talk about, but at least you can feel them. And I believe it’s even harder for those who’ve returned from war or will return to speak about them," she said. Student Daria Makarova said, "Exhibitions like this one are absolutely necessary to connect with our homeland and honour our soldiers." (With AFP Inputs)