VODOPARAD-2002

Everything in the history of humanity is non-casual, however you may call it, the cause-effect relations or as the fates decree. Perhaps Kharkovers call their city the First capital of Ukraine not by chance. There are really many pioneers and explorers in its history, namely the first university in Ukraine, the first fiction pictures in the Russian empire, and at last the first unique Design Project devoted to the idea "A Human and Water". So, Kharkov firm "Vlada_Promtex", a promoter and an organizer of the "Moidodyr" Project, became a successor of the glorious cohort of the poineers. The first exhibition was opened in 2001. And at once it turned out a unique experimental place, where the creativity and the pure competition dominate.

Besides the originality and the high professionalism, shown an the exhibits, the Project participants created the special playing space, where the ordinary world of sanitary ware "overgrows" with cultural ideas. This game is so fascinating, that both the objects , their creators and the visitors of the second exhibition join it.

In January 2002 UAJV "Vlada_Promtex" kept on the "Moidodyr" Project with its code name "Mirror Stream", which is well known among wide designers' circles.

The exposition moved to the show-room of Kharkov State Academy of Design and Arts. The Exhibition, that was organized by support of the leading European sanitary ware and tiles producers like Villeroy&Boch, Dorn Bracht, Duravit, Gessi, Grohe, Hansgrohe, Jado, Huppe, became one of the most exciting cultural events in January. This is the second step of the "Moidodyr" Project. It is aimed at working out a special "creative field", that can prolong a mutually beneficial cooperation between the producing firms and the leading designers.

The exhibition is a successful result of search of new design discoveries on presenting a wide variety of Human and Water idea implementations from real objects by Mr. Bondarenko, Mr. Vereshchagin, Mr. Nikishin, and oriental pastiches by Mr. Starozhilov to the installations of PPSh Group, amusing epatages by Mr. Sokolov, Mr. Tun, Mr. Pogorel'chuk & Messrs and nature design by Mr. Ryntovt. 40 authors take part in the exhibition, there are famous designers, fresh university graduates and students among them. The experience of Kharkov design school harmonized with the amusing tricks of youth and all these contributed to the free-and-easy vibe.

Besides the holiday euphoria, the exhibition was beneficial, namely a number of projects found their customers, the winners of contest were invited to visit foreign firms and soon the Kharkov design school may be well-known not only in Ukraine.

The rating of the exhibition_competition is increasing for cer_tain. Leading designers of Ukraine and foreign countries, representatives of industrial and commercial enterprises want to take part in the Moidodyr Exhibition. The authoritative design magazines of Moscow, Kharkov, Kiev and Odessa write about The Moidodyr Exhibition. There are no similar projects in CIS. Art critics emphasize that Kharkov becomes a trendsetter in the sphere of subject design.

From humorous metaphors we turn to the real results of the Mirror Stream Exhibition-Competition, there is an increase not only in quantity but in quality of exhibits presented in the variety of forms, ways of subject design modeling and sphere of the existence. All directions, namely joke-design, installation design, philosophy design were presented to the exacting jury and visitors of the exhibition. The competition was finished and the results were summed up in 6 nominations, the organizers awarded the winners with diplomas and the firm-partners awarded them with special prizes. One of the main exhibition results is a multifarious dialogue, both real and virtual between a creator, a producer and a customer. During the exhibition more than 5000 people visited it without taking into account the information in mass media and on Internet site. The organizers of the exhibition are not going to stop half-way and plan to proceed with the Moidodyr Project and promote it abroad.

Quotations

"We will arrange Moidodyr Exhibition 3, 4, 5 etc… Villeroy & Boch will celebrate its 250th anniversary, who knows, maybe one day we will celebrate it … And the participants start already thinking about the works for the third Exhibition", - Boris Lotkin, the Head of the Exhibition Organizers Committee, a Management Representative UAJV "Vlada_Promtex".

"Brilliant people with money and briliant designers made up their minds to make "chamber pots", as Bondarenko says, or "products", as UAJV Vlada-Promtex says, turn into art works and people would come and say, "We go crazy with this beaty! And we can even buy it, can't we?" I consider it an honor to participate in the exhibition annually. And plenty of people, not only Moscower and Russian but also foreigners do for sure. The main thing is information", - Vladimir Chaika, a Project participant, the Laureate of the Russian Federation State Prize.

"It's not important who is a winner, the process itself gives you some optimism. Without taking into account the characters, it is a large event… And it can have taken place only in Kharkov", - Yevgeniy Taboriskiy, a graphic designer, "IMA-press" publishing house:

"It is more than splendid. I had a strong desire to participate in it next year. "Pure art" and Design are united here", - Zhanna Solovyova, an artist_ceramist.