I wouldn’t say I am big on modern/contemporary art, and I think it might be because I am not someone who necessarily expresses herself visually. I tend to vocally voice my opinion, and it is hard for me to understand artists’ depictions of certain events, feelings, or thoughts. I also don’t really understand why some artists’ works are highly valued, while others are not, but if you ask me, some of the work at Vinzavod should be sold for thousands—minimum. I don’t know why Vinzavod stuck with me the way that it did, or why I liked it so much. Perhaps it was the area’s history and the vibrancy of the Muscovites who hung out in the area. It is a former wine factory, which is where it gets its name, and currently houses multiple art galleries (it’s not a typical “museum”, but more indoor-contemporary-art/outdoor-festival kind of deal) and people are expected to graffiti its walls (look below for some typical and some not-so-typical graffiti). I actually thought the graffiti was really interesting and showed the difference in the urban art of America and Russia. I see it so often in Chicago that I sometimes don’t even notice it, but the graffiti in Russia has more realistic pictures of people than the more cartoonish pictures I see in Chicago. One is not necessarily better than the other, but they are different. 

The art in the galleries also caught my attention. This one painting that really stuck with me (picture below!) showed a couple, who were naked in-between white sheets. They were looking at each other in silent sadness, while also staring off in into space. I thought it was a very profound statement on the artist’s view of love and relationships. There was also an artist who used photographs, Photoshop, and other tools in order to portray traditional Russian tales (picture also below).
All in all, I was very impressed by Russian contemporary art and the area of Moscow it strategically chose to house the works of its gifted artists. If you ever in Moscow, it is most certainly a place you must visit!