New art cluster to open on boat in Moscow next month

From next month Moscow will have its first waterborne art cluster, with film screenings, music shows and lectures to be held on a renovated ship. According to Alexey Onatsko, one of the founders of the Brusov Boat, named after the Russian poet Valery Bryusov, the space will “support street art culture and contemporary theatre, and establish ties with local and contemporary artists”.

Onatsko added that the boat, which he described as “a fully-fledged piece of urban infrastructure on the Moscow river”, provides a platform for creative collaboration, something which is greatly needed in Russia. He said: “The boat will make the city more diverse and attractive for living. It’ll foster creative collaboration, which will produce interesting, new products, and allow people to share knowledge and be inspired.”

In addition to a creative agenda, Onatsko and his team hope to convey a message of urban regeneration to Muscovites. Onatsko said: “We want to show our countrymen that even the most inhospitable and difficult to revitalise urban infrastructure can, with a certain amount of courage and perseverance, become a modern and unique attraction of the city that’s useful to citizens.”

The design of the Brusov Boat fuses Scandinavian stylings with the ship’s original industrial features, all the work of young Russian artists. Onatsko added that the “ship’s facade will change over time with the additions of works by artists who use the space”.

The Brusov Boat will be open to the public from 12 July.