KALINKA kindergarten is a typical state-run Russian kindergarten located on the Black Sea coast. I was excited to lead a master class there, as I didn't know what to expect from the kids. My idea was to bring lots of recycled materials: used boxes and empty bottles, accompanied by colorful cardboard, paper, masking tape, markers, and glue. I wanted to give the kids 100% freedom but wasn't sure how ready they would be for experimentation. Usually, in Russian kindergartens, art classes are not that inventive and are normally limited to making identical drawings or applications.



My only suggestion to the kids was to think about building a city, just to give them some direction. Then something unexpected happened. Once the kids saw the big bags of materials, they immediately started tearing them apart, choosing exactly what they needed, bursting with ideas, and working energetically for 2.5 hours. As a result, some fantastic works were created, each with a story behind it. I was surprised, amazed, happy, and very proud of these kids who showed so much openness, enthusiasm, courage, and independent thinking.

This is the very beginning of an art class. Kids were excited about such a huge amount of building materials but still fought a bit over the rare items.

In the end, all works were on the table, and we could finally see our city

Wajukuu Art Festival is a major event organized by Wajukuu Art Project, founded in 2004 in Nairobi, Kenya.

A participant of Documenta 15 (2022) Wajukuu Art Project is a testimony to the resilience and the capacity of people to transmute suffering into beauty. Wajukuu Art Project is a registered community-based organization situated in Lunga-lunga neighborhood of Mukuru slum.

Art forms the backbone of Wajukuu. It is understood not just as a practice but a way of life. Through art classes, Wajukuu empowers children and youth to cope with daily challenges, and speak out against injustices imposed on them.

Through art classes, Wajukuu empowers children and youth to use art to connect with their heritage, cope with challenges they face in their home and community, speak out against injustice levied upon them, and envisage an alternative future.

The aim of this adventure was to participate in activities of Wajukuu kids' art club, exchange ideas, and, together with local artists, introduce new creative activities for kids. As a result, fantastic artworks were created, and few pieces were purchased for the Youngest Collection.

In the framework of 7 day Art session, we have created two large collaborative works. Kids were working altogether. They talked about the subjects, and the composition, often helping each other.

The international art fair THIS IS OUR COUNTRY, GRANDMA gathered dozens of independent artists, musicians, creative initiatives, art associations, and galleries from Russia, the USA, Finland, Georgia, and Belarus. The main theme of the project is the reconstruction of the image of the suburban "countryside" - a space between the urbanized and wild environments. The art fair was curated by the prominent St. Petersburg group NORTH -7, the winner of the Kuryokhin Prize 2020 and the Present Continuous Prize / V-A-C Foundation. The artworks of the group are included in many private and public collections, including the collection of the M_HKA Museum, Antwerp.

The concept of the DACHA exhibition, curated by Elena Strygina, mirrored one of the main ideas of the art fair. Young artists plunged into the process of building the fair, which lasted for several days proceeding to the opening. Wondering freely around the huge construction site as if they were visiting their grandmother's dacha in the countryside, they explored art, talked to other artists, participated in creating installations, and, getting inspired by the whole action, created artworks right on the spot. During the opening days, each artist got the opportunity to have a one-day solo exhibition during the public opening days.

In retrospect, looking back at those works created by kids in December 2021, one can sense the cold breath of approaching war: military planes, wooden Iphones, and a giant volcano that destroys the world...
Most of the works have become a part of the Youngest collection. The most impressive piece, a large-scale painting Excavator by Stepan Chemakin, was purchased by Sergey Limonov, one of the leading collectors of contemporary art in Russia.