LYNN BENNETT-MACKENZIE reports on her trip to an International Art Symposium in Russia with fellow artist VICKY STONEBRIDGE

ELABUGA, the city that always welcomes you.  Well, that was the certainly the case when I and Vicky Stonebridge travelled there in August to attend Breath of the Epos, an International Art Symposium.

Visual Artist Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie

We were invited as professional artists and because our artwork complemented the “breath of the Epos” theme, based on legend, myth and culture. I am flattered to be invited, and it is an honour to be asked to represent my country with my art and see a part of the world that I never thought I would have the chance to visit.

We journeyed from our west coast homes for a day and a half by car, bus and three flights to reach the city of Elabuga (900km SE of Moscow, pop 70,000), where we were housed comfortably in one of the hotels. Elabuga is on the up, working hard to build up it’s tourist industry.

The historic old town is a large living preservation area with many museums, subsections and beautiful old buildings painted in wonderful colours which are a delight to the eye.  There is a real sense of pride and purpose here for both history and the arts.

The preservation area has held four previous symposiums, but this is the first one which international artists were invited to attend.  The actual symposium –all paid for, we only paid for flights and visas – lasts for 10 days, during which 33 artists from a range of countries including Belarussia, India, Egypt and Turkmenistan, creates at least two artworks on the theme in various media including oil, acrylic, printmaking, batik, pastels and handmade paper.

Artist Vicky Stonebridge at work

These will become the property of the city gallery and museum, and will be utilised for travelling exhibitions, books, and general publicity.

We are taken on guided excursions to the Elabuga (Devil’s) tower overlooking the city, the museum of district medicine, the library of the Silver Age, The washhouse (still in use up till 40 years ago), the memorial house of a poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the Kama national park into which Ivan Shiskin used to carry his heavy metal easel to  paint “plein air”, and also to a restricted police military school and Cathedral where the locals rarely get to peek.

We also visit a show by a local artist Bulat Gilvanov.  All his works are based on one story, but the range of painting styles he uses is staggering.  The freedom to create from within is apparent here, marketing doesn’t come into the equation and artists are respected and treated as “gifts from god”.  But most, like here, have to supplement their work with another job as well.

Breakfast is served in the hotel, and lunch and supper at the Tavern in the centre.  Traditional Russian fare is very different but fresh and tasty, with lots of fresh vegetables and salads, so we try everything and leave little!

We have translators as many of the artists and organisers do not speak English, and our Russian only extends to a few basic words.  This is frustrating from time to time, but the international language of indicating and acting helps!

The artists here are all established and well known in their fields, aging from 23 to 75 years old.  There are also a couple of art historians in attendance taking notes and wandering round the studios watching, talking and listening. The artworks coming to life are all figurative and some are quite stunning.  It is inspiring to be amongst such creativity.

My work flows better towards the end of the time, but could do with a couple of weeks more!  It is challenging to work in different environments with the paint reacting differently due to climatic differences.  Oil paint, despite adding more linseed oil, dries virtually overnight at temperatures of over 40C, and watercolour, well!

We are interviewed for magazines, TV, newspapers, have to make short speeches at the opening of both the symposium and art show, and constantly feel the lens of cameras pointed at us as Alex, Luda and Aktas mingle amongst everyone snapping away.  We are treated like minor celebrities, which is all a bit surreal.

The minister of Culture for the Republic of Tatarstan, the vice-president of Tatarstan, and the Director of the museum preservation area are amongst the dignitaries attending the opening of the symposium show.  We have to make a short speech – nerve wracking! – and we are then presented with souvenirs, certificates and a traditional tatar hat.  We all go to wait beside our works and are greeted by the dignitaries and have to speak a little more about our inspiration.

This symposium was intense, like being dropped into a bubble and then reluctantly pulled back out again!  We made many new friends – Google Translate will be hard at work!  It was an amazing experience I will carry with me for life and will certainly take inspiration from it.

We may think we are free in the west, but for that small part of Russia at least, the spirit is definitely allowed to flourish more.  I look forwards to returning some day and certainly hope to attend more symposiums in the future – the bug has bitten!

© Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie, 2010

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• Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie

• Vicky Stonebridge