"The project has become a significant event in the world of art. The participation of almost one and a half thousand people from 65 countries in the first Competition confirmed its importance, the relevance of the proposed topic and the high level of international interest. The Competition demonstrated that the values that Russia follows are close to many people around the world. Young artists see traditions and national culture as a rich foundation for contemporary art. The project is especially important in the context of the formation of a fair and multipolar world, in which art plays an important role as a tool for intercultural dialogue. The Competition showed that the depth and meaningfulness of art based on respect for their own culture and the experience of the past are important for the new generation of artists."
"It is of great importance that the participants' works are exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery in the beautiful city of Kaliningrad. In my opinion, today artists are deprived of attention, because actors and directors are recognized on the street, and artists are more recognized by their paint-stained clothes. I hope that this Competition and this Exhibition will allow artists to win an audience, to find people who will be interested in their works. Today we were able to gather artists from different countries — culture has brought us all together, because it plays the role of a unifying force," Semyon Mikhailovsky, Rector of St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts and Co-Chairman of the Creative Council of the Competition, emphasized in his welcoming speech.
"The main value of the Kartina Mira Competition is that all the works are united by one theme — national subjects. The authors of the paintings of the exhibition came from different parts of the world, these are not only artists from Russia, but also from Libya, China, the USA and other countries, which allowed visitors to see the differences in the artistic culture of many peoples. The exhibition is incredibly valuable for the participants themselves in terms of international experience and cultural exchange: we were able to talk to each other about art, demonstrate our creativity, get acquainted with the manner and techniques of each participant," - comments the finalist in the nomination "Painting" Amina Mislimova.
"I have always been interested in ordinary people. I am sincerely amazed by how they pray for the whole world with an absolutely pure soul, this is what I tried to reflect in my work," admitted the contest participant, finalist Mingli Zang, the author of the painting "Pilgrimage to Tibet".
"This exhibition is about the relationships between nationalities, about people from different countries who build a dialogue with each other. Kartina Mira allowed artists with different views to unite — not only to reveal their talent and skill, but also to exchange ideas across time with the goal of creating a common future," shared her emotions finalist Joanna Bronicki, an artist from the USA/Poland.
"The art of performers is the art of the here and now, and the art of artists is destined to live in the future. Just as the current generation grows up on the works of the classics, so we are now laying the foundation for future generations. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov collected paintings by his contemporaries and actively supported artists who are now a treasure of national art for us. And today it is especially gratifying that contemporary artists are exhibited in the new branch of the Tretyakov Gallery in Kaliningrad. That is why I believe that the art of young artists is for the future, as is our museum," noted Kamilya Baidildina, director of the State Tretyakov Gallery Branch in Kaliningrad.
"We haven’t doubted for a moment about the decision to support Kartina Mira project. This is a unique Competition unparalleled to anything ever happened before. It gives young artists the opportunity to become a participant of the Tretyakov Gallery exhibition in an instant, literally by painting one work. We see how many visitors can observe the works of young artists. It is great that the new project is starting in a new significant space, and I am sure that Kartina Mira will certainly become a powerful springboard in the careers of talented artists," emphasized Andrey Serov, First Vice President of Gazprombank JSC, member of the Creative Council of the Competition.