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.