The paintings of the artistic group INTERESNI KAZKI started to appear on Kyiv’s walls several years ago. Strange characters that seemingly froze in a dream, most unexpected combinations of objects, paradoxical situations, surrealistic atmosphere, the violated laws of gravitation… Volodymyr Manzhos (his pseudonym is WaOne) and Oleksii Bordusov (Aes) tirelessly paint the concrete fences, walls, and parking lots in Kyiv. Often the choice of their “canvases” is not accidental, but so to say socially preconditioned. In an interview with Oleksii The Day asked him about the art of INTERESNI KAZKI, which turns the dull industrial things into colorful world of fairytale plots, at the same time “painting over” the gray atmosphere in society.
Is it hard to get permission for a wall painting in Kyiv, for example? With whom do you have to make arrangements?
“It is practically unreal. Even if you have money to pay, it is most likely that nobody will allow you to paint. The only way out is to create the paintings illegally. Or bribe. There used to be the main artist of the city in Kyiv. We came to him and said, ‘Hello. Look, we want to paint this.’ He replied, ‘You are welcome,’ and put his signature. We went and painted. It took us less than a month to get the permission. Everyone supported this, it was wonderful. Now there is no main artist in the city, and nobody is eager to take the responsibility. We have an idea of a project, which appeared long ago. The works had to begin in June-July. The document is ready, we have chosen the objects, we have everything needed but the signature of the authorized officials, but we have a reply with an official excuse, say, not now. Since the project is funded by sponsors, the permission system slows everything down, and the sponsor has carried over the project for the next year, till possible refusal. Maybe the city is not ready for this. On the whole, to make something to a house wall, you need a plenty of money and strength simply for the revamp, let alone painting something. It turns out that the progressive idea, which will serve for the city’s good and will be part of its development, uniting the beautification, revamp, and the cultural component, faces the lack of a normal procedure.”
One can see your graffiti in Spain, the US, India, Slovakia, and Russia. Is getting permission the same problem there?
“No, there are no problems with this. However, there are cities which do not allow painting on the walls, but they have their own reasons for that. On the whole, we don’t deal with the permission procedures of the events. They invite us, we paint.”
You have painted many of your works on the buildings which are part of the social sphere, on hospitals in particular. Do you perceive your creative works as a social gesture among other things?
“It is a social gesture above all, sharing halves with your creative realization, something of this kind. We rarely get paid orders. But it happens. Most often, like in case with the Okhmatdyt Hospital, everything goes as follows: they offered, we agreed. The aim of this project fully coincided with the main goal of our creative work on the whole – bringing color into the life of people. Should I say that of all people children need color and joy most of all, especially when they have problems with health? I personally consider creative work as spiritual practice. In a broad sense it means serving the welfare of the whole humankind.”
In the total grayness, depressiveness, and passivity which are reigning in the society, your paintings are signalizing that society is living and it has healthy segments. How do you perceive the Ukrainian society today? What do you think of the social atmosphere?
“Currently our society is indeed a diseased one; it is rapidly degrading and dying out. You can see this especially vividly when you compare it with the situation in other countries, e.g., European ones. But the situation is not so bad, we have people ready to fight and win. And there are many of them. I meet them especially often in Kyiv. I would like to believe that they (I ascribe INTERESNI KAZKI here as well) will succeed.”
Does the civic society in Ukraine have a chance?
“I want to believe it does. Otherwise, why do we need all this?”
What is the role of artists in this?
“Most importantly to believe in themselves. History has many examples of artists influencing the course of social and state events. France’s history is a demonstrative example. Another thing is that namely in Ukraine the artists are abandoned in a sense. This understanding often makes you lose heart and motivation to do anything. But you should not stop.”
What was the most touching reaction to your graffiti?
“Of course, most often it is the sincere delight and joy expressed by children. And the most important thing is to hear thankful words from people for proving the simple truth by our example: it is real to be successful in art, not playing on foul human passions and not glorifying amorality. Now I know this for sure.”
