People sketching quickly inside the workshop of ZSEMZ (West Siberian Electrometallurgical Plant) are now regarded as part of the furniture. For the third year running, participants in the «Time, Forward!» Art Festival have been visiting the plant to capture modern industry in action and rethink the aesthetics of creative labor.
The artists range from emerging to experienced – and that's precisely where the value lies. Each artist brings a unique perspective, revealing to the viewer a deeply nuanced and powerful image of the working person. The best works are exhibited at the «Art of Labor» show in the halls of the Russian Union of Artists at the New Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. One standout piece, Molten Metal of ZSEMZ by Valentina Milakina – executed in a mixed technique combining canvas, acrylic, oil, and crushed mosaic – became a semifinalist in the festival's sixth season.
The eighth season of this industrial plein air event proved to be a vivid creative milestone for students of the Kuzbass College of Arts and their instructor, Andrey Ivanovich Kovrigin – a well-known Novokuznetsk painter and master of industrial and urban landscapes. Where an ordinary person sees harsh industrial terrain, the artist discovers flawless geometry, rhythm, and a hidden kind of poetry.
«Engaging with creative people enriches us, fills us with fresh energy and positivity, » says Alexey Viktorovich Sidorov, CEO of ZSEMZ LLC. «The artists capture contrasts of light and shadow, flashes of molten metal, and translate that raw power onto their canvases. They ask our workers to serve as prototypes for the heroes of their future paintings. Our people are always happy to agree – it's an interesting experience and a chance to see their profession in a new light. When you see yourself through the eyes of an artist, you realize that you're not just doing a daily job – you're making history, you're mastering the elemental force of fire. This kind of co-creation breaks down the barriers between industry and art. It proves that industrial might rests on real people – whose perseverance and creative labor inspire masterpieces. We are truly delighted to be part of this process. »