"Even Our Hooligans Are Intelligent": On Street Art in Tomsk
What is street art? Is it even art? Why is it needed? We're embarking on a journey through the walls of cities outside Moscow to see what art and murals local artists are creating, what graffiti artists are writing, and the vibrant colors of the regional subcultural scene. Our first stop is... Tomsk.
Tomsk — a city of students. And this is directly reflected in the street culture that develops there. In addition to the large amount of street art, the city also boasts a significant number of youth events.
"I've been organizing various subcultural events since 2010, and I always see a mix of young people from out of town. This influences both the quantity and quality of the action, and the diversity of meanings.",” says the founder of the Street Vision festival Ivan Larionov, explaining that he had not noticed this in other Siberian cities (with the exception of Krasnoyarsk).
Another feature of Tomsk street culture is its intellectual aura, owing to the city's scientific history, its many prominent figures, and its six universities. "Even our hooligans are intelligent" - sure Larionov.
"After we created an illegal mural in the city in 2021 and a scandal erupted, a document was issued that now allows street art to be approved and created completely legally.", he explains. Ivan.
He is confident that now there are arts in Tomsk more will appear.
"The STENOGRAFFIA festival has been held in Yekaterinburg for about 15 years. And people in the city have become accustomed to street art—not only do they consider it normal, but they even understand it. It broadens their horizons, introducing them to the styles of artists from all over the world." - explains Larionov. - And this will happen in Tomsk if we continue to develop street art."
