Every year, the urban life magazine Sobaka.ru hosts the St. Petersburg of the Future awards, recognizing the most resonant projects in the fields of urban studies, design, architecture, ecology, inclusivity, and social action – as well as the specific people who are changing the city for the better. This year marked the sixth installment of the awards.
Nominees were chosen in fourteen categories: Recycling Project; Inclusive Project of the Year; Renovation of the Year; Cultural Space of the Year; Public Space of the Year; Bid of the Year; Book of the Year; Exhibition of the Year; Ice Rink of the Year; Sports Story of the Year; Collaboration of the Year; Transport of the Year; Private Renovation of the Year; and Media Case of the Year.
ITMO University’s Art & Science Center was recognized by the jury as one of the year’s key newsmakers – their projects and initiatives were widely covered by mass media and discussed by the public. In 2022, the center launched several high-profile exhibitions and public projects, including: the first-ever exhibition of works by students of the Art & Science Master’s program to be held at one of the city’s art galleries (Paranature Institute, Marina Gisich Gallery); the exhibition of works by the program’s graduates STAGE; the open lecture series at the Zifergaus public space; and, finally, the ASTA awards for young science artists, co-organized and hosted by the center.
“In the past year, the Art & Science Center began to actively extend its projects into the urban space, thus extending the community of science art enthusiasts. We’re pleased that this did not go unnoticed by one of the city’s top publications. At the same time, we’ve secured a reputation among artists and experts, too. To us, this award is a sign of recognition that what we do matters to the city – and it will inspire us to create new projects with the nation’s leading art institutions. This isn’t just our achievement – this is the work of our students and graduates, the community of young science artists who continue to create new ideas and knowledge,” comments Elizaveta Menis, the head of the Art & Science Center.
The Art & Science Center was established at ITMO University in 2017 to study the field of science art, which had then just begun to develop in Russia. A year later, it launched Art & Science, Russia’s first-ever Master’s program on the subject, currently headed by established art curator Olga Vad. In 2020, the center opened the doors of AIR – St. Petersburg’s first science art-focused exhibition space and art residency. In 2022, it introduced Russia’s first PhD program in science art, as well as a bioart laboratory headed by the artist and biologist Ippolit Markelov.
