At the age of rise of contemporary art a definition “eternal student” occurred in the midst of young intellectuals: diagnosis, credo, lifestyle. As a rule such people studied at prestigious universities, short time at each one, and their total “term of education” could amount some 15 years…

15 editions of “Sessio-Art” that organizers have held along with the contest participants enable them to estimate events from the point of view of “eternal student”, to analyze and compare things on a scale of entire generation, on a scale of fifteen years of history of contemporary art in a town, that gave to the world a constellation of outstanding artists. Vitebsk doesn't devaluate the meaning of talent because this town knows very good what it really is.

This year there were no new name discovered at the “Sessio-Art”… and that's good! We are not a “stars manufactory”, we are looking for real contemporary art, without any cheap popular stamps. A process of rise of a real master, as is well known, is mysterious and unpredictable.

The “Sessio-Art”-2006 will remain in our memory with its overcrowded hall, queues in front of some exhibits, and with an especial Vitebsk audience, thinking and sharing rather than consuming.

Unlike other show-rooms in Vitebsk , “Sessio-Art” opens its hall just for couple of days a year, but it brings so much creative energy, that it would last till next spring. As for the “eternal students”, it's up to everyone whether to remain among them or to change.

Valentina Dorozhinskaya

The 15 th edition of “Sessio-Art” took place on April, 20 of 2006.

Nickolay Pogranovsky - art historian, director of the historico-cultural museum “Zaslavl”, a chairman

Galina Kazarnovskaya - head of sub-faculty of design of the Vitebsk State Technologic University , Vitebsk

Nickolay Gugnin - head of sub-faculty of fine arts of Vitebsk State University

Ludmila Ignatieva - art expert, a lecturer of Minsk Arts College

Leonid Medvedsky - an artist

Igor Dukhan - head of the Arts sub-faculty of State Institute of management and social technologies of the Belarusian State University

Osvalds Zveisalnieks - professor of Latvian Academy of Arts

Ludmila Khmelnitskaya - director of Mark Chagall museum

Igor Gerasimenko - assistant professor of sub-faculty of arts of the State Institute of management and social technologies of the Belarusian State University .

Via Stupane - Latgalian branch of Latvian Academy of Arts, diptych “Houses” , painting

Irina Kolesnikovich - Vitebsk State Technologic University , “The Bronze Age” , painting

Yury Skorokhod & Andrey Kastruchin - State institute of management and social technologies, “Priclama” , design

Matiss Kalnynsh - Latgalian branch of Latvian Academy of Arts, “Day and night” , sculpture

Elena Latysheva - Vitebsk State Technologic University , triptych “Chekhov” , avant-garde

Elena Kolukhanova - Vitebsk State University , “MetaMorphose” , arts and crafts

Ghita Gramatynia - Latgalian branch of Latvian Academy of Arts, “On Earth” , graphics

  Victoria Yudashkina - Vitebsk State Technologic University – “Misuaghe- 2” , graphics, Prize by “Belarusian union of designers”

Irina Lutsenko - Vitebsk State University , “Adam and Eve” – arts and crafts, Prize by culture department of Vitebsk executive committee and Mark Chagall museum