6-25 July 2008

THE SEVENTH EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL
MARINA-2008

It is the seventh time! The seventh marine art biennial – an international art exhibition-contest dedicated to the sea!

It is very hard to believe when you hear it, yet the fact remains that we have been cherishing this extraordinary gift for our country for 14 years now, a gift that will certainly become an important part of the art history of Ukraine in the future. Every even year when the time of the project comes, we start getting anxious. Nobody can guess what the project will be like at the end. It is much like the birth of a child: it has been conceived and you wait to see who it will resemble, whether it will be healthy or not, if it will be happy and bring joy to others. And each time MARINA improves and becomes more and more beautiful and we, its parents, rejoice like children with all the people who participate in the biennial.

MARINA-2008 – what can we expect to see this year?

For many years we struggled for the right to be able to define the biennial an international event, but to our great regret it was extremely hard. Problems connected with the import of cultural values to our country continue. Consequently only artists from the neighboring states could take part in the exhibition before. Most often we invited artists from Moldova, Transnistria, Russia and even Bulgaria.

This time we are finally proud to present the works by two French artists – photo project “Decks" by Jean Belondrad and paintings by Bernard Brossard. The project and the participation of the artists from France were organized in collaboration with the French Culture Center in Ukraine as well as the Odessa French Culture Center.
An artist from Holland Marian Ketting is also taking part in the show, it is the first international biennial in her career. 
In addition, the winners of the previous editions of MARINA will put their works on display, they are such well-known and appreciated artists as Edward Belsky, Sergei Savchenko, Yekaterina Burlina.
The Kiev art will be presented by such renowned artists as P. Lebedinets, V. Podlevsky, I. Yeliseev and A. Maksimenko.
Artists from Transnistria reached us like a powerful wave. Their participation is possible thanks to the Arlis Art Gallery from Nikopol directed by Viktoria Lazvennik.

The MARINA Biennial is really getting increasingly beautiful and full of new meaning like a sail blown by the wind. Quite recently in August 2007, a new unique project “Sea Ocean” was created, a project which became not only integral part of the biennial this year but probably its meaning, too.

Things created by people may have their own aesthetics, but it is not naturally picturesque. And strictly technical creations aimed at easing human work are not supposed to be harmonious on the outside.

However, there is a special exception to this rule: it is a port illuminated by countless lights at night. It is a totally mesmerizing sight – colorful terrestrial constellations reflected in the dancing waves and crowned with the opaque moonshine… What is the secret of the unfailingly exciting effect? Light in the darkness has been attracting man since time immemorial, promising to make all his dreams come true. And a port is also the end of earth, a border between land and water. Darkness turns this border into a symbol of a soft mutual transformation of these two opposites…

Isn’t it magic?”

History of the project:

“Sea Ocean” was launched in Ukraine in the summer of 2007 at the Passenger Sea Terminal of the Odessa port. Five Ukrainian artists fascinated by the magnificent landscape surrounding the Maritime Art Gallery painted the sea illuminated with bright lights of port cranes on huge 2-meter canvases for three nights. The atmosphere of spiritual inspiration caused by the synergy of the completely different artists united by the unspeakable excitement of communication and co-creation meant an enormous energy impulse and attracted an unusual number of viewers who wanted at least to be present if not to participate themselves. It is curious that this time the artists, who had created realistic paintings for many years, produced almost abstract works of art willingly and consciously.

During the presentation of the first part of the project the outstanding Ukrainian artists Sergei Savchenko, Roman Romanishin, Edward Belsky, Yekaterina Burlina and Tatiana Binovska created 20 brilliant works of art.

In October the project was presented in Odessa and in November it was shown at the Art-Kiev Festival and recognized by experts as the best Ukrainian project of the year.

The project “Sea Ocean” born in Odessa has flooded with its high emotions the night port of the city of Hamburg like a rolling wave.  
The artists S. Savchenko, R. Romanishin, E. Belsky, P. Lebedinets and I, T. Binovska, landed at the Hamburg airport on May 14, 2008. We were invited by the HPK Company. The HPC Ukraine Container Terminal is a subsidiary of the Hamburg terminal. The administration of the Odessa affiliate has always and with great pleasure supported all the projects presented by the Maritime Art Gallery of the Odessa port.
The organization of the project was possible thanks to the Director General of the HPC Ukraine Dirk Battermann as well as his assistant the wonderful Svetlana Yarovaya. Our trip to Germany was possible thanks to Svetlana.
In Hamburg we had an opportunity to get acquainted and to very closely communicate with the General Manager of the “НРC HAMBURG” Klaus Schmecker. Mr Schmecker perfectly organized the visit of the Ukrainian artists. And the incredible beauty of the port deserves to be praised.
And now the third part of the project “Sea Ocean 2” will take place in Odessa before the inauguration of MARINA.  
The following artists will participate in it: B. Brossard (France), E. Belsky (Ukraine), Y. Burlina (Ukraine), T. Binovska (Ukraine), S. Savchenko (Ukraine), P. Lebedinets (Ukraine), I. Yeliseev (Ukraine), A. Maksimenko (Ukraine), Alexei Malyh (Ukraine), Marian Ketting (Holland).

The works created during the night outdoor painting will be put on display on the day of the inauguration of the biennial; the same day a performance created by Tatiana Binovska will take place – it will unite all the participants of the biennial and will be dedicated to the incredible theme of sea and soul.

And it is only natural that no exhibition or project can take place without the help and support of sponsors and patrons.

MARINA-2008 Project
and “Sea Ocean, Odessa 2008” Project Patron
Mr ОLEG ATAYATS