Interdisciplinary "Platform" Automatic translate

Communication project "Platform" , which started at Vinzavod a year ago, has a non-standard format, which largely determines the content of discussions. One of the project organizers, Aleksey Firsov, spoke about the tasks and super tasks of the Platform. The active participants in the Platform also commented on the art director of the Galerix project Sergey Fateev and show artist Andrei Shevchenko.

- What is the purpose of creating the “Platform”, what is its novelty and difference from other communication platforms of professional communities?

- Alexey Firsov : The idea of ​​the site is the organization of communication, interaction of people who engage in various social practices. The goal is to provide an opportunity to comfortably, freely exchange experience, competencies, test your own ideas and views. The first analogy that comes to mind is the club. But with all the ease of "picking up" this word, I do not really like this definition, because the club format does not create projections for the future. It’s not that the Platform essentially obligated its participants to something, but it can pretend to set some project goals and objectives, lead to practical action and results. Not only gathered, talked and dispersed. Say, some cultural or charitable steps have already gone beyond the boundaries of the club format.

Probably, a certain popularity, which the idea began to gain, is due to the fact that people are significantly tired of networks. And then there was a platform for live communication. The current excess of communication on the network just suggests that online communication does not solve problems. The more a person goes into online communication, the more, perhaps, he feels his isolation. This is a well-studied paradox, and you can not stop there. Just stating that there was a longing for offline communication.

- Longing probably arose. But offline communication with more than a few people provides a certain formalism: the agenda, hierarchy, the “presidium” in the end…

- We initially decided to avoid the format that provides for the official "partitions" - tables, presidiums. I wanted people to communicate calmly and heartily, in a comfortable atmosphere, with drinks, freedom of discussion, lack of hierarchy, division into a podium and gallery. The action takes place in the atmosphere of an art salon: paintings on the walls, wooden stage platforms, glisten bottles, dim lights… "The genius of the place" plays a role. Stylistically, we return to good salon discussions of the past, however recognizing their limitations.

Another idea that arose at the stage of the emergence of the “Platform” is that we have a certain circle of “intellectual celebrities” in our country that I want to break. Regardless of whether these people deservedly or not occupy their position, they clog access to public space for others. There are many talented people who do not have a tribune. Not that we provided such an opportunity (we are not the media), but at least created the possibility of wider communication with them.

- And what caused the interest in these "new people"? After all, the “Platform” is not a social elevator?

- Is not. "Platform" in its concept is a "brainstorming" format that is working on some kind of idea. Therefore, the “Platform” is an interdisciplinary story. Often the horizons of understanding are not expanded by dialogue within one’s sphere of activity; ideas are born at the intersections of disciplines. For example, an artist meets with a marketer. The artist knows what he wants to say to the world. A marketer better understands how to introduce contemporary art into corporate design or, say, into modern architectural, industrial solutions. Here comes a living spark.

The second aspect is this. Communication is often perceived as a means of achieving any goals. But you can look differently and see that by and large, in addition to communications, a person does not need anything. We do many things only in order to find ourselves in a situation of dialogue that allows us to reveal ourselves. “A man needs only a man”: remember this thought of the hero of “Solaris” Tarkovsky. You can not consider communication exclusively as a tool. There is pure pleasure in communication.

Perhaps we initially approached the "Platform" tool, but we realized that the pure interaction of people who give something to each other, "reflected" in each other - is also a lot of sense.

- But this does not contradict the practical benefits? It is unlikely that the sponsors of the project would give funds only for interesting communication.

- Yes, there is no contradiction. Simply, the effect is always higher when there is a personal engagement in business. Everyone is interested to see what is being done at the level of other sign systems that you do not encounter in everyday life. This is on the first level. It is further interesting to create new products on the basis of all this exchange. A project can become a tool for solving some tasks that are important for many. Means to combine efforts to develop practical action.

For example, now we are discussing a program to promote young artists through auctions, combined with active marketing of the works themselves. The second topic that we are interested in today is contacts with China. Inside the "Platform" a pool of communicators has been formed working with China. We found each other and are now trying to develop common approaches.

- Topics for practical action appear as the Platform develops, or is there a plan?

- There is no concrete plan, because the Platform is not a business structure. A person can bring an idea to the "Platform", find like-minded people, organize them and work on the topic already outside the "Platform" or with links to it. This is also a very important story, the project helps people not only exchange practices and ideas, but also organize themselves and work more efficiently on their specific tasks. There is no single, general task, but independent project teams arise inside.

- What kind of people are interested in the Platform?

- In principle, everyone who is interested in the project itself. A pure listener who does not even say a word is also interesting if he really hears. Because the Platform has no commercial purpose, but a social purpose. If the person who came to the event came out a little different after him, he is certainly interesting because he justified the existence of the project.

Of course, people are interesting who allow this mechanism to work - they talk, argue. This is an environment, like a house in which there are basic designs, but also interior items are also very useful.

- You said that the Platform is not interested in attracting celebrities, which already clogged up public space. But it may happen that as the Platform develops, celebrities themselves will stretch and it will be difficult to refuse. What then?

- Probably famous people increase the weight of the project. And we are partly conceited people. From this point of view, “celebrities” are useful. But they are often useless when they begin to speak ex cathedra. Much is already known about them, the ideas as a whole are clear. The brilliance of the novelty, the face of a new person brings me greater intellectual pleasure personally and to many of my colleagues.

Any event of the Platform carries an element of drama. If the opportunity arises to push young, or fresher, let’s say, a generation with “mastodons,” the drama effect will be stronger. The idea of ​​a cultural or status conflict is also interesting.

- Let’s recall the events of the Platform that have already taken place, successes and failures, perhaps.

- The first, test topic of the Platform dealt with the question of how to combine contemporary art and corporate design. The theme was functional, not involving a wide scope, but it showed that the format works.

Two events on the topic of China aroused great interest. An application was received for the third event. The theme of the fate of megacities, the organization of life in a modern city, went well. An interesting discussion was the crisis of sociology, old techniques. An excellent discussion unfolded on the topic of “New Conservatism” as a request for a new traditionalism.

Sergey Fateev : After the reports on the “Platform”, people naturally break up into groups according to some of their attributes, and they do not differ from the “Platform” individually. Most likely, a common opinion is developed in these groups, ideas are born and people leave not only immersed in the topic, but also finding like-minded people. And further on the "Platform", most likely, seeds of meanings will be born. Now a very interesting historical era. The tectonic plate of history bumped into another. On these faults new meanings and ideas will arise.

I represent the online project "Galeriks" dedicated to the popularization and promotion of fine art. Our project is completely online and the Platform is our first experience of going offline. At the junction of philosophy and some applied things, marketing, PR, new styles, new trends can most likely be born. New names will appear, new idols. We “hold a candle” over the birth of these ideas and idols.

Andriy Shevchenko : In communication, communication itself is very important. As in life, life itself is important. I strive to communicate with a large number of people, this is my thirst for life. I am greedy for life, new emotions and similar meetings are very curious for me. Communicating with people, I understand that there are different opinions, different moods, a different attitude in life, besides mine, which I know well. On the "Platform" we find answers to all questions, just the answer should be heard.

Voronina Julia