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Mamont (Russian: Мамонт, Russian for Mammoth) is international festival of modern art and vanguard fashion running in Minsk since 1995. Competitions, presentations, exhibitions of vanguard painting and sculpture are held within the limits of the festival. Within the limits of the festival judges traditionally give a master class for young designers.
Contents
The concept
The basic difference of all competitive shows of festival "Mamont" from other fashion shows consists that the clothes collection is considered as object of art, and its presentation – as performance.
The purposes
- To show achievements of young figures of arts: artists, sculptors, musicians, designers, fashion designers.
- To draw attention of mass media, public and professionals to creativity of young and perspective authors.
- To give to artists possibility to acquaint general public with the creativity.
- To open new names and talents for general public.
- To create the dialogue environment between artists.
- To make active creative atmosphere in the field of the modern art and design.
- To create bright show with the original scenario and attraction of art workers, including theater, television, cinema.
Organizers
- Concern "Bellegprom" (Belarus),
- The union of designers of Belarus,
- Publishing house "Magic",
- The company «Center of theatrical initiatives».
History
The author of the festival idea is television director Yury Breus. The festival has been urged to help with search of new names and ideas for TV program. However it has quickly received among young designers such popularity that became quite independent action.
In the nomination «Nuans» for the original use of folk motives in her collection «Zapovet» Evgenia Lukjanova became the winner. In the nomination «Neon» Olga Kiselevich and Svetlana Ivashina, who were the winners in 2011, got a diploma for usage of optical and light effects. This creative duo introduced the collection «Bezdna» to us. The holder of the Grant-prix in 2011, the Centre of Fashion and Beauty «Chrustal Nymph» from Gomel, this time was represented by a team of co-authors with a unique and witty collection «We All Are From… or Made In China». This was a strong performance but the jury decided to give it the 1st place in the nomination «Knock-out» as the most provocative work.
The jury liked two bright collections and they received the prize in 2 nominations at the same time. Natalis Kostroma-Andreuk is one of the most interesting people in design in Belarus, who is a favorite and a winner of all the contests she takes part in. She took a diploma in the nominations «Narrative» (unique presentation) and «Navazhdenie» (unique ideas). Alena Yarkevich won in the nominations «Nevidal» (usage of innovational technologies) and «Navorot» (unique combination of color and forms).
The discavery of the festival is Elena Kolyasnikova, a production designer of the Belarusian Drama Theatre. Elena participates a lot at exhibitions of modern art, creating things using various techniques. The collection «Dusha Dospeha», which was represented during «Mamont-2013», occurred to be well-thought through, unique and conceptual. The most unusual part is the process of costume-making. All collection is made of 100%-pure wool of Stavropol fine-wool sheep. Moreover, Elena used the technique of seamless on-wet felting – that's the way valenki are always made. For 5 costumes 12 kg of wool was used which was turned into felt. The elements of the costumes were attached with the help of metal buttons, rivets and decorated with eyelets. This way, the collection was not sewed but constructed and it required 4 months. The combination of elements of modern costume and stylistics of middle-age armor was so interesting that the jury had no hesitation. Elena Kolyasnikova became the winner and Grant-prix holder of the festival «Mamont-2013».
Between a contest show and gala-concert there was also a presentation of video-fashion-art movies. 24 movies were represented. And the winner was a movie from Belgium «Show-room», an author is Guido Verelst.
In the evening at the club «Next» a competition among body-art artists took place. The winner was Vyacheslav Baranuk with the project «Old School». The 1st prize went to Denis Ivanov, who represented 4 models at the same time – a team «Beauty Fusion», that showed a unique plastic dance. Artists Anastasiya Novik and Alena Mazhut, the project «No-stop» from Molodechno, presented an original male dou. One of the guys went roller-scatting around the club, the other one, a parkour master, showed acrobatic tricks.
The person of the festival
The graphic figure drawn by artist Alexey Mihajlov became the festival symbol in 2007. Ekaterina Ljubchik became the person of the festival in 2008 and 2011.
Festival competitions
Within the limits of the festival three creative competitions are passed: competition of vanguard fashion, competition of body art and video art competition. Drawing on a body in body art competition, as well as in a case with a fashion, is considered jury as art object which is only a performance part. At video art competition are estimated video-performances lasting not more than five minutes.
Festival prizes
In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the stylized figurines cast from bronze «Gold tusk» (for the best suit and for the best collection presentation) and «Gold Mamont» (for the best combination of all elements of performance) was handed over to. In 2011 the concept of delivery of prizes has changed in connection with occurrence of one more competition. «Gold Mamont» receives the best vanguard collection of the clothes, two prizes «Gold tusk» are handed over to winners in competitions of video art and body art.