What does green smell like?

The answer to this question can be found at an unusual exhibition “The Way to Colour”, which has opened at the Palace of Arts in the capital. For the first time, paintings by blind artists are on display here. One would think, how can a person who has been blind since birth work with paints? But the young people are proving that art can be accessible to everyone.

WMESTE.BY

Irina and Sergey Bondarovich

Secrets of perception

How do you feel yellow? What does red taste like? What does green sound like? If you try to find answers to these questions, you’ll get the key to understanding unusual paintings. Young artists convey a feeling through their work. Yellow — it’s the warmth of sunlight on your skin, sand rustling under your feet. Red can be reminiscent of love, courage, triumph, sweet or tangy, or salty like blood. Green smells like mowings, mint, pine. It’s easy to guess what a “barefoot” painting looks like. And how can touch, friendship, serenity, character, clouds, soul be painted? All these themes are “put” on canvases. This exhibition helps to look deep into things, to get into a special world of perceptions and emotions. And for viewers it’s a great opportunity to see the world in a different way. And who knows, maybe the works of blind artists will initiate new stories in contemporary painting?

As a rule, for people who were born in the dark, the names of colours are hollow words. But not for those who start painting. For painters, colours smell, flow between fingers, feel, sound. Each colour has certain associations, which may not be the same for different people.

The Velonisa Art project was launched at the premises of specialized school No. 188 for visually impaired children in the capital. Its curators guide blind artists on how to handle colours. In the future, there are plans to create an art territory where blind people of different ages can learn, meet, experiment, fulfill themselves through painting, and possibly earn money in this way. “Our project is not about getting together to have a good time. It gives people an opportunity to fulfil themselves and expands the opportunities to perceive the world around them,” says Irina Bondarovich, the project’s founder.

However, the choice of professions for visually impaired people is very limited, while projects like this allow to erase the boundaries and inspire people to search for new roads, chances and discoveries.

These works are a starting point for blind people on their way to the land of colour. There has never been a painting school like this for the visually impaired in the world. It concentrates entirely new ideas, develops methods, and actively searches for tools to help blind people get into art.

The team uses a variety of tools in its work. A wooden frame with stretched fishing line allows the blind artists to be guided on the canvas. PVA glue, thread, plastic, masking tape help create defined borders, outlines, shapes and compositions. The colour circle is “adapted” for the blind — it’s printed volumetrically on a 3D printer. The elements of clothing and fragments of fabric are used, which for young artists serve not only as a texture that can be touched, but also as part of the composition.

Magic flashlight

Belarusian IT specialists developed the “Flashlight” device specially for the project, which allows blind people to recognize colours. It consists of a colour sensor and a microcontroller that processes intensity measurements of RGB waves. After processing, the “magic” lantern “transforms” the colours into melodies. This is how visually impaired people who don’t know colours can use music and associations to represent colours. The device is currently being tested. Participants of the first Belarusian art studio for the blind are working with it. In the future, the Lantern is planned to be available to all. Even today, the BlonicaArt team is ready to share their achievements. The works of unusual artists are posted on social networks, and blind people are very much looking forward to feedback, ask to be read out what thoughts their works evoke in people. Paintings of unusual artists can be purchased. The money raised will be spent on the development of the project. By Elena Dedyulya

WMESTE.BY

HAVING COME IN A DREAM “THE NUTCRACKER” ACQUIRED NEW COLOURS

It is unlikely that Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, writing an instructive Christmas story for the young children of his friends Fritz and Mary, could have assumed that the story he invented would become a timeless masterpiece. Just think: Pyotr Tchaikovsky composed music for the ballet “The Nutcracker” based on Marius

Petipa’s libretto, which is a rephrasing of Hoffmann’s story made by Alexandre Dumas Senior. And how many great musicians, choreographers, artists, performers and writers have joined the aforementioned creators over the past centuries!

IIn October 2020, “The Nutcracker” appeared on the stage of the made a model of a play out of crystal, which, unfortunately, got lost. Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus. In this case it is both a revival and a re- But the crystal, festive, mysterious radiance of the ballet remains. newal because Maestro Valentin Elizariev has made a new version of Performing a part in such a famous work is both a joy and a great his own production. For seven years “The Nutcracker” hadn’t been responsibility. Many stars of the Belarusian ballet used to dance in performed in the Bolshoi Theatre — and this is a necessary attribute “The Nutcracker”, leaving their performance in history. In the preof New Year holidays! The last performance took place on Janu- miere performance in 2020 the role of Masha was performed by Irina ary 16, 2013. And the very first performance was staged by Valentin Yaromkina, the Nutcracker-Prince — Oleg Yaromkin, Yury Kovalev Elizariev on April 15, 1982. And the choreographer admitted that he performed role of Drosselmeyer, aka the Mouse King and Master of had seen his idea… in his dreams: the Dolls. The role of the Nutcrack— After the production de- BELTA er Toy, which Valentin Elizariev signer showed me a model of the used to dance in his youth, was performance, that night I dreamt performed by Karina Malakhovsabout the entire first act. I woke kaya. Today there are four groups up, got out of bed and, fortunate- for each part, because there are ly, I managed to record it. many young people in the troupe, By the way, when Valentin and they need to be given the op-

Elizariev studied at the Academy portunity to prove themselves. It is of Russian Ballet in Leningrad, also interesting that People’s Artist he performed the role of the Nut- Lyudmila Brzhazovskaya, the first cracker, so this performance is es- performer of the role of Masha, pecially dear to him. In addition, worked with the dancers. the maestro believes that there is After a victorious battle with no musical score more difficult for the ominous Mouse King, Masha the choreographer than the score of “The Nutcracker” by Pyotr Tchai- and the Nutcracker fly on toy horses against the background of a kovsky, although there are those who perceive it as music for children. fairytale tree, up to the light… Is it realization of a fancy or just a

Well, each masterpiece has more than one depth. And how far dream of an offended girl? Each spectator will have their own answer. you go in your cognition depends not only on the author, but also In fact, the work contains many sad, very serious connotations. Just on your capabilities. remember the snowflake chorus, which embodies the voices of dead

Almost the same group of creators worked on the new version angels. But both young spectators and adults leave the hall with a of the ballet, only instead of the conductor Alexander Anisimov promise of happiness in their hearts and a sense of festivity. This there is Vyacheslav Chernukha-Volich. The same artist Evgeny means that everything has been a success.

Lysik created a fantastic performance. They say that one day he By Lyudmila Ivanova