I believe every resident of Kyiv knows that “GogolFest 2008″ is taking place in Kyiv at the moment. This festival of modern art presents modern music, dance, experimental theatre, painting, design, cinema and audiovisual arts. Here is some information for those who hasn’t got to the festival yet:

“Last fall Vladislav Troitsky, the director of the experimental theatre “DAKH”, decided to arrange an exhibition of modern artists in “Mystetskyi Arsenal”. The aim of the exhibition was to make the visitors ready for the celebration of Mykola Gogol’s birth 200th anniversary. On the occasion of such a momentous event, some concerts and performances accrued, and the result was the “GogolFest”. This year it is taking place since the 6th till the 25th of May. Kyiv municipality says that the Day of Kyiv will drag on for a month - one can’t imagine more grandiose event than this “festival of the festivals”. The matter is that there are a few massive festivals every conscious citizen knows about: “Kraina Mrij”, “Jazz Koktebel”, “Sheshory”, “Molodist” and, at last, we can attach the Publisher Forum to this honorary list, ’cause that’s something like literary fest. You won’t believe this, but Troitsky united the curators of all these festivals into one program for a month to let the visitors feel the origin of Ukrainian culture and arts in full.”

I’d like to add that reading the festival program wakens the feeling of eagerness, the wish to visit actually all the performances, concerts and movies…

A few days ago we were lucky to fetch up at the performance given by the Lviv Academic Theatre named after Les Kurbas “Waiting for Godo”. The sound disappointed a little, but the acting rejoiced. We decided to visit that theatre of the absurd in Lviv, in the native environment.

Besides the rich program of concerts and performances, many photography and painting exhibitions are taking place in the Mystetskyi Arsenal. The first time in Ukraine 12 Ukrainian curators are presenting their projects all together in “Curators Cartel. Mystification”. That is an effort to unite energies and real faces of Ukrainian modern art in the integrated space.

And, you know, it feels like the exhibition lacks something…

That is the exhibition of modern arts - so why there are no pictures in Moleskine notebooks? That is the art! That is very modern art, you know. I suppose the next year “GogolFest” won’t manage without us ;) Because we have got real talants!! Just take a look! That is sheer underground, isn’t it?

Taken from here.

If you are interested in the festival - you can be in time! That’ll be on till 25th of May 2008.