On February 9, we visited the State Museum of Contemporary Art.  Thirty five refugees, children and their parents from Afganistan, Syria and Iraq attended an educational session for the the Russian Avant-garde, through the “Costakis collection”. Refugees enjoyed the experiential tour, learning the artistic evolution from 1900 to 1930 that was shaped in Russia.  The REACT beneficiaries in an interactive educative way were aware of how the pattern and color reflect the rejection of past artistic conventions and search for innovation. Refugees conceived positively the knowledge of the manner through which art expressed the popular desire for social change in Russia of the early 20th century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the educational program evolved, refugees expressed their concerns through Solomon Nikritin’s work “Man and cloud”. Thus, they drew the difficult travel, the blood poured on the road, the hope for a peaceful future. The smaller children created a collage based in the avant-garde exhibited works.          

The Adults in another corner of the Museum, inspired by the exhibits presenting the “house” in the space, since the machine and the technology are interwoven with evolution, created their own space dwellings.
The Museum is not anymore a place that we should not speak loudly, not touch, being mere observers of the exhibits. The Museum is an intimate place for the beneficiaries of REACT program. It is a place that visitors inspire from the exhibited works  and their historical context and following create, construct their own artifacts expressing their own history …!

  Anna Magdalini Argyri