In the five-year history of the Arkhstoyanie festival, over twenty environmentally friendly art objects have been created in the area. Some are made from wood, hay or pinecones, while others in the winter time have simply been constructed from snow.

The challenge for the artists is to find an ideal, organic balance between contemporary art, architecture and landscape.

Master of provocation, Oleg Kulik

This time around the man in charge of the festival’s artistic concept is one of Russia’s most controversial artists – the master of provocation, Oleg Kulik.

He is probably best-known for a series of scandalous performances, such as “Mad Dog”, “Reservoir Dog” and “I Bite America and America Bites Me”.

Kulik’s reputation of an “artist-animal” criticized for disgraceful behavior precedes him wherever he goes. In fact, the shock-loving artist-animal even suggests waking like a dog, saying it is much more convenient and technologically advanced than using only your legs.

Love him or hate him, you can hardly ignore him: Kulik doesn’t conform to type and is a walking encyclopedia of paradox.

The unconventional Russian artist has tried his hand at various genres, from sculpture to photography, exploring the boundaries of social conventions, human behavior and creative taboos. His works have been exhibited worldwide and are part of collections of leading museums.

“A Football Forest” by “Blue Noses”

Kulik’s creative mission at the Arkhstoyanie open-air festival, which he described as the “Russian Disneyland”, has been entitled “Nine Muses of the labyrinth. Forest liturgy.”

He was quoted as saying that those who choose to come to the village will be able to take a “very interesting ritual-journey across time and space.”

“Repair of the Earth” by Sergey Denisov

Among the artists taking similar “journeys” are leaders of the art group the “Blue Noses”, Vyatcheslav Mizin and Aleksandr Shaburov, famous for their scandalous work “The Era of Mercy” featuring two kissing policemen.

This time around the “Blue Noses” will present their project “A Football Forest” featuring a football field in the middle of a thick forest, blending the phenomenon of Russia’s thick woodland with the British game of football that demands ideal lawns.

Among other participants are Ivan Kolesnikov and Sergey Denisov, who will show off their work “Repair of the Earth”. It features a gorge crisscrossed by a ship rope, in the manner of a surgeon stitching up an open wound.

Another object worth checking out is Margarita Trushina’s “Moment of Power”. It features an unwinding wooden spiral erected perpendicular to the ground, akin to a mental labyrinth in the middle of nowhere, producing the hypnotic effect of a tunnel.

In addition, thanks to wooden podiums on each side of the spiral, those who wish to meditate can do so – a welcome feature, especially if it can help in surviving the current heat wave.

Valeria Paikova, RT