OREANDA-NEWS. June 22, 2012. Vyksa (Nizhni Novgorod Region) hosted the Second Festival of New Culture, Art-Ovrag 2012. The Festival was held under the auspices of United Metallurgical Company (OMK, Moscow), Vyksa Steel Works (VSW, Vyksa, Nizhni Novgorod Region), part of OMK, the OMK-Uchastiye Charitable Foundation, the Art-Residence International Cultural Project, and the Vyksa Urban District Administration.

This year, the Festival achieved international status: Vyksa welcomed participants from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Israel, and Japan. During 3 days, according to estimates by the organizers, the Festival was attended by more than 5,000 people, who were mostly children.

"The Art-Ovrag Festival is of great educational importance, because it is aimed at attracting young and creative people and promoting their individual development," saidIrina Sedykh, theChair of the OMK-Uchastiye FoundationBoard of Trustees. "We are sure that such large-scale events are effective in forming a unique positive environment for living and working in Vyksa."

The Festival was themed around the Russian avant-garde of the early 20th century and the contemporary actual art of the early 21st century. This year, the Festival was characterized by the emergence of new trends in the shaping of urban space. On the Festival site, young artists and architects created a series of experimental architectural objects, modern sculptures and installations, and 3D pictures on asphalt and building walls.

In addition, the Festival program included interactive laboratories and master classes by Russia's best VJing, video art, and animated movie experts. Renowned contemporary architects John Powers, Lorenzo Fernandez-Ordonez, Festival co-curator Dmitry Alekseyev, Olga Fridlyand, artists Dmitry Parkhunov, Aleksandr Povzner, and Russia’s top street art teams implemented their art projects in the city park. As part of the Festival educational program, lectures and master classes were given by well-known architect Thomas Nugent, art and culture historians, and representatives of Moscow museums and art institutions.

Let us remind that the preparations forArt-Ovrag Festival included making paintings on urban surfaces in Vyksa and the opening of the "Towers of the World" street exhibition dedicated to famous tower structures. Unique to Russia, parkour anddirt jumping facilities were created for going in for extreme sports. In addition, dancing and arts master classes were organized for young people.