Contemporary Russian street art. Formation and development

Abstract

The paper provides an overview of the main periods of formation of Russian street art as an artistic phenomenon. It analyzes the role of leading authors and associations that have played a key role in the development of this type of art. The study identified the structure and characteristic features of Russian street art. Street art is a specific form of contemporary urban visual art, characterized by a wide variety of creative concepts and artistic techniques. Street art works are always contextual, to a greater or lesser extent integrated into the urban aesthetic and communication environment, and as a rule, stylistically and thematically relevant, aimed at direct dialogue with the viewer. In Russia, street art emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a continuation of artistic practices of the graffiti subcultures and included three periods of its subsequent formation and development: 1995–2005 — the formation of an artistic phenomenon; 2005–2015 — development and public recognition; 2015 till present — active expansion into the information and media space, into the field of art and design, institutional recognition. The development of street art in Russia, as well as throughout the world, is affected by the global mass visual culture, however, in the last decade, an alternative trend has been gaining momentum, which consists in the active use of national artistic and imaginative content. Thus projects reflecting socio-political and cultural agenda that is relevant for Russia and timed to coincide with memorable dates and major events in the country are being promoted and approved.