Abstract: This study explores the themes and imagery of murals in the industrial park of the Holding «Stroitelny Alliance» in the Moscow Region. The murals prominently feature Russian folk and authorial fairy tales, as well as literary works whose heroes are widely recognized as fairy-tale characters. The main goal was to understand these characters as carriers of the Russian cultural code, which forms the conceptual program of the murals. Key figures include Vasilisa the Wise, Marya Tsarevna, the Swan Princess, Chernomor, the Thirty-Three Bogatyrs, Ivan Tsarevich, Danilo the Craftsman, and Lefty. The murals function as allegories rather than literal illustrations of texts. The research object is the fairy-tale murals of the «Stroitelny Alliance» Holding in the Moscow Region, with the subject being the fairy-tale characters depicted. An interdisciplinary approach was employed, combining art history methods (iconographic, formal-stylistic) with comparative, intertextual, and intermedial analyses. This revealed connections within the artistic space (monumental painting, applied arts) and external interactions (architecture, design, business, ethnocultural heritage). Significant results include analysis of ISP «Koledino» murals as an ethnocultural prototype for the «Yesipovo-4» murals; identification of the process of codifying national values in fairy-tale characters and their transmission through «Yesipovo-4» murals; and interpretation of the cultural code in contemporary contexts. The study introduces new empirical material and proposes methodologies for analyzing objects in the art buffer zone, such as autonomous industrial murals. Terminological solutions for analyzing these objects (replication, intermedial remake and remix, compositional collage) are offered. This research contributes both theoretically and practically to art studies and cultural understanding in industry.

Keywords: industrial park, cultural code, muralism, public art, Russianness, street art, ethnocultural identity, intermediality, intertextuality, comparative studies

Abstract: This study examines the features of how contemporary Russian landscape and narrative painting are perceived within the artistic sphere of Heilongjiang Province, features determined by traditional cultural codes, in particular the system of Feng Shui. It explores how Feng Shui functions as a cognitive framework and system of value judgments in the consciousness of Chinese viewers, shaping their visual preferences and interpretation models. In contrast to the dominant approaches in art history focused on metropolitan institutions and global trends, this work shifts the focus to regional art perception practices, where the well-being-oriented logic of Feng Shui acts as a key factor. The relevance of the research is linked to the need to understand the adaptation of Western art forms within local cultural contexts, especially in border regions with active cultural exchange, such as Heilongjiang. Here, the painting of Russian Far Eastern artists, particularly the works of A.N. Cherkasov, holds a special place, transmitting both the European pictorial canon and a regional cultural code. The work employs a comprehensive interdisciplinary methodological approach, including the study of the philosophical origins of Feng Shui, art historical analysis (formal-stylistic, iconological, semiotic, and hermeneutic), a sociological survey (N=215) of Heilongjiang Province residents with subsequent statistical data processing, and a case study of the commercial "RuiYi Gallery" in the city of Heihe, which exhibits the paintings of A.N. Cherkasov. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the following: firstly, in transferring the category of "Feng Shui" from the sphere of architecture and design into the field of art reception studies; secondly, in developing methods for identifying regional specificities in art perception; thirdly, in obtaining empirical data on art perception in a Chinese border region. The main conclusions of the work indicate that Feng Shui functions as a powerful cultural code, asserting the dominance of a traditionally Chinese, utilitarian and functional-aesthetic approach to artistic perception, where the practical benefit of a work (attracting luck, wealth, harmony) prevails over its formal-aesthetic qualities. This interpretative system interacts with the process of localizing Russian painting, forming hybrid formats of acceptance. Art galleries, acting as active transmitters of Feng Shui discourse, intensify this process, which creates barriers for non-figurative and conceptual art and potentially limits the diversity of the local artistic ecosystem.

Keywords: Feng Shui, art perception, cultural code, semiotics of art, sociology of art, receptive aesthetics, landscape painting, Russian painting, Cherkasov's works, Heilongjiang galleries

Abstract: The research focuses on the contemporary artistic practices of 2010–2020s, that produce visual representations of the lifestyle, cultural memory, and worldview of the northern communities in Russia and the North America. Contemporary Arctic art includes such new genres as total installations, immersive and performative exhibitions, land art, process-based art, participatory art, and community art. The study identifies the characteristics of «ethnotopia». This concept means the strategy for artistic representation of the Northern territories in the frames of multiculturalism and interdisciplinarity, environmental activism and minimalism, craftsmanship and body knowledge, immersive and multisensory experiences, decoloniality, and globalization. The analysis of the site-specific Arctic art projects and the case study of U. Podkorytova and M. McMaster’s art projects detected the following traits of the Northern ethnotopia. First, the Northern ethnotopia reflects the conflict between the perception of circumpolar places as neutral and empty spaces and their interpretation as materialization of the human experience in its historical and cultural diversity. Second, artistic representations of the North form the interdisciplinary projects that combine photography, video, crafts, sculpture, and music with ready-made techniques, collage, montage, and detourage. Third, artists reveal the authenticity of the Northern experience in its’ connection to memorial spaces, when they communicate with local communities. The study of artistic ethnotopias allows to identify the North representation in the dialogues between local and global artists, art institutions, creative industries, and audiences. The research results may be applied to the spheres of culture, art, and business, involved in the creation of exhibitions, art residencies, artistic research, and media projects.

Keywords: contemporary art, North, Arctic, ethnotopia, site - specific, multidisciplinary, ethnicity, visual representations, Russia, North America

Abstract: The subject of the study is the peculiarities of Peter Brook's directorial method, examined through his productions of William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" (1957, 1968, 1990). The article is dedicated to analyzing the principles of the director's work with the playwright's text, stage space, and actors in the context of time. Each performance marks a stage in Brook's creative evolution: from a theater dominated by visual imagery, he immerses himself in a laboratory experience exploring the possibilities of actors, then utilizes the opportunities of play theater and improvisation within different cultural spaces. Here, a persistent characteristic of style emerges – a rejection of a fixed system of techniques in favor of "formless premonition," following the original impulse of the author, which unfolds during rehearsals and is refracted through the individuality of the actor. The research employs a historical-cultural method, allowing for the reconstruction of the epoch's context that influenced the artistic appearance of the performance; a theater studies analysis of the productions is also applied, revealing the features of the actor's and director's approach to the interpretation of images. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the performances based on Shakespeare's last play are considered sequentially as a self-contained cycle-trilogy, having no less significance for Peter Brook's work than his famous productions of "Hamlet" or "King Lear." Through the comparison of the versions, a significant feature of the director's manner is uncovered – eclecticism in the use of techniques. Despite the variability of form, Brook pays close attention to the metaphysical aspect of Shakespeare's text, making the actors co-authors in realizing the playwright's main metaphor, theater as a world. This also means that Brook's theater is open to contemporary influences, other traditions, and looks for active participation from the audience, which aligns it with the Shakespearean tradition and allows it to be considered total.

Keywords: Peter Brook, Tempest, William Shakespeare, Playful theatre, Visual metaphor, interculturalism, pantomime, improvisation, empty space, Gordon Craig

Abstract: The subject of the study is the role of the doll in cinema as an element of a visual-symbolic artistic system. The goal of the work is to identify the mechanisms of the doll's inclusion in the system of expressive means of fictional film and to determine its role in shaping the visual-symbolic structure of the frame. The paper examines the peculiarities of the interaction between the doll and the film's material environment, its participation in the formation of associative cinematic imagery, and the symbolic structure of the frame. It is shown that the inclusion of the doll in the cinematic image enhances the expressiveness of the visual series, actualizes hidden cultural codes, and deepens the visual perception of characters and events. It is specified that the doll functions as an object of dual nature – both material and symbolic, which allows it to serve as a mediator between different levels of artistic expression. The methodological foundation of the study consists of a semiotic approach, visual series analysis, comparative film studies methods, and the interpretation of artistic imagery. The relevance of the research is due to the insufficient study of the role of the doll in the structure of cinematic imagery: its visual function, symbolic potential, and mechanisms of inclusion in the artistic system of fictional cinema. It is noted that addressing the image of the doll expands the toolkit for analyzing visual structures and contributes to a fuller disclosure of the possibilities of cinematic language. The obtained results can be used in studies of visual semiotics, film language theory, and synthetic artistic systems. In conclusion, it is stated that the doll in cinema represents a stable expressive element that establishes additional levels of interpretation and meaning depth. It has been established that the doll, included in the structure of the fictional film, functions not only as an object but also as a sign, expanding the semantic field of the frame, enhancing the associative nature of the cinematic image, and allowing for non-verbal expression, which is particularly important for cinema as a visual art, of the metaphorical and philosophical depth of the work.

Keywords: doll in cinematography, synthesis of artistic systems, symbolism of the doll, conventionality of the artistic image, semiotics of the cinematography, associative film image, material environment of the film, visual expressiveness, film language, object cinemagenicity

Abstract: The research is dedicated to the analysis of the continuity of China's cultural heritage through the example of the integration of the legend of the Eight Immortals into food packaging design. It focuses on the evolution of visual (color palette, composition) and symbolic elements (character images, mythological plots) during the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as their adaptation to commercial requirements and technological innovations. Specific examples, from the packaging of "Zhonghua Sezi" cookies (1912–1949) with traditional ornaments to the interactive box "Zhiwei Guan" (2021) using shadow theater, demonstrate how design transforms from direct reproduction of myths to their stylization (anime style in the 2019 project). The study shows that the synthesis of traditional narratives with modern technologies (digital graphics, interactivity) preserves cultural identity, enhances emotional connection with consumers, and increases the market value of brands. A comparative analysis of the evolution of packaging (20th-21st centuries), visual (color, composition) and historical-cultural (context of the era) analysis of design elements, case analysis (the "Return of the Eight Immortals" project), and the study of the adaptation of mythological symbols have been employed. Qualitative methods include analysis of sources, visual materials, marketing strategies, and technological innovations. The integration of the legend of the Eight Immortals into packaging design reflects the dynamics of adapting cultural heritage to aesthetic and market challenges. For example, the transition from direct copying of mythological images (1990s "Penglai" wine packaging) to their stylization in anime style ("Return of the Eight Immortals," 2019) has preserved key meanings ("longevity," "luck"), making them relevant for youth. Interactive formats, such as shadow theater in the "Zhiwei Guan" packaging (2021), transform packaging into a tool for conveying historical memory, engaging consumers through playful elements. The novelty of the study lies in the systematic analysis of the transformation of visual elements and the demonstration of the relationship between the commercialization of archetypes and the growth of brand competitiveness. The synthesis of traditions with technologies creates a sustainable dialogue between the past and present, ensuring the practical significance of cultural memory in modern marketing.

Keywords: packaging design, Yantai city, Eight Immortals, cultural commercialization, cultural marketing, regional culture, brand value, Cultural Heritage, Symbolic elements, Traditional Mythology

Abstract: The subject of the study is memorial objects of traditional Chinese culture – temple complexes, pagodas, cave monasteries, imperial necropolises, historical axes of planning, and archaeological zones – as structural dominants of the symbolic space of modern Chinese cities. The focus is on their role in shaping urban identity, maintaining cultural memory, and organizing the semiotic structure of the urban landscape in the context of accelerated modernization and globalization. Using the examples of Kaifeng and Luoyang, the analysis investigates how these objects retain their status as meaningful centers amidst changing socio-economic contexts, as well as how their functions transform from religious and political to cultural-representational, touristic, and image-related. Special attention is given to the mechanisms of integrating memorial complexes into contemporary urban planning and commercial strategies, as well as the nature of their interaction with new architectural structures and mass tourism infrastructure. Thus, the study aims to identify patterns of cultural heritage symbolization within the space of modern Chinese cities. The methodological foundation of the research is based on Yuri M. Lotman's cultural semiotics (concepts of the semiosphere, boundaries, and urban text). Methods of semiotic analysis, comparative-historical correlation, and critical discourse analysis of normative and touristic texts are employed. A strategy of triangulation of empirical data is applied, which includes the analysis of urban planning documentation, statistics on tourist flows, and heritage preservation materials. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the innovative intercultural application of Lotman's theory of spatial semiotics to the unique material of ancient historical Chinese cities. For the first time, a comprehensive model for comparative analysis of mechanisms of cultural symbolization is proposed and tested in two contrasting types of urban semiospheres: a strictly centripetal one, characteristic of Kaifeng's space, and a complex duocentric sacred-landscape one, illustrated by Luoyang. The work convincingly shows that historical memorial objects function not merely as a static architectural heritage of the past but act as active, dynamic boundaries and crucial nodes for recoding cultural meanings. Furthermore, significant differences in contemporary methods of commodifying historical memory are detailed, and specific modes of interaction between traditional sacred and modern touristic discourses in the context of current urban development are analyzed.

Keywords: Semiosphere, urban text, Yuri Lotman, cultural semiotics, urban symbolism, Kaifeng, Luoyang, cultural memory, memorial objects, traditional Chinese culture

Abstract: This study focuses on the artistic and aesthetic characteristics of Chinese and Russian teaware of the 18th–19th centuries in the context of intercultural interaction. The study encompasses the processes of form, ornamental design, material and technological solutions used in tea ware in the two countries, examining it as a material medium for cultural exchange within the framework of trade relations along the "Great Tea Road." The primary focus is on identifying the mechanisms of mutual influence between aesthetic systems through the analysis of specific artifacts represented in the museum collections of the Hermitage, the National Museum of China, and the Palace Museum. The methodological framework of the study integrates art historical analysis with artistic design tools. The study utilizes a method of analyzing historical sources to systematize trade and diplomatic documents, a comparative analysis to compare the plastic, ornamental, and technological solutions of teaware, an iconographic method to decode cultural symbols in decoration, and a materials science approach to study the influence of technological exchange on the formation of artistic styles. The chronological framework is defined by the heyday of the tea trade between China and Russia, when artistic exchange went through a full cycle from direct import to localization. The scientific novelty of this work lies in its study of the processes of aesthetic interaction between Chinese and Russian teaware as specific artifacts, which fills a significant gap in academic research traditionally focused on local aesthetic systems. The study demonstrates that Chinese teaware, with its aesthetic of natural restraint, influenced the development of Russian porcelain production and form-making, while Russian metalworking techniques and enamel art contributed to material and technological innovations in the Chinese tradition. Mutual creative dialogue shaped a synthetic artistic style that enriched both cultural traditions. The research findings have methodological implications for contemporary design, highlighting the need to preserve cultural identity while creatively absorbing intercultural influences through a model of equal dialogue and the flexible transformation of traditional techniques.

Keywords: Chinese teaware, Russian teaware, intercultural dialogue, artistic aesthetics, Jingdezhen porcelain, Yixing ceramics, Russian enamel art, samovar, technological exchange, Great Tea Road

Abstract: This study investigates the process of technological transfer in machine-based wallpaper production in China during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a specific focus on the concomitant local design responses it engendered. Employing a comparative analysis of Shanghai and Tianjin—two pivotal port cities that served as gateways for Western technologies—the research elucidates the distinct mechanisms through which Western lithography was adopted, adapted, and ultimately hybridized with indigenous aesthetic traditions. The methodological approach is interdisciplinary, synthesizing archival documents, material analysis of historical product samples, and contemporary periodicals to construct a nuanced historical narrative. The analysis reveals two divergent models of local adaptation. In the commercial metropolis of Shanghai, adaptation followed a logic of market-driven hybridization. Factories initially reproduced European patterns but rapidly evolved to create designs that strategically incorporated traditional Chinese symbols—such as peonies, butterflies, and motifs denoting longevity—executed with the new lithographic techniques. This created a visually modern product tailored to local consumer taste. In contrast, industrial enterprises in Tianjin, often linked to state-led "Self-Strengthening" initiatives, pursued a more culturally assertive path. Their designs demonstrated a deeper engagement with the compositional schemes and subject matter of traditional guohua painting and popular nianhua prints, resulting in a style perceived as more authentically "northern" and reserved. Beyond regional comparisons, the work delves into the complex coexistence of old and new technologies. It details how advanced lithography, capable of fine gradients and vibrant imported aniline dyes, did not simply replace traditional woodblock printing. Instead, a market segmentation emerged, and a technical hybridization occurred where lithography might be used for backgrounds while key symbolic elements were added via wooden blocks. This phenomenon underscores the cultural dimensions of technological choice. Theoretically, the research is framed by the theory of technological transfer and visual studies, emphasizing that transfer is a complex sociocultural process of selection, modification, and re-invention, not passive copying. Its scholarly novelty lies in elevating the overlooked wallpaper industry to a significant case study for examining early industrialization, consumer culture, and cultural dynamics in modern China. The findings contribute to modernization debates by demonstrating that global technological flows precipitated creative local negotiations and syntheses. In conclusion, the article posits that wallpaper design served as an active agent and a tangible field for China's "local response." The evolution from imitation to creative synthesis reflects a profound process of cultural reflection and adaptation, which played a crucial role in shaping the unique aesthetic contours of early Chinese modernism during this pivotal transitional era.

Keywords: wallpaper design, technological transfer, lithography, xylography, Shanghai, Tianjin, wallpaper production, local response, cultural dialogue, hybridization

Abstract: The study aimed at formalizing the animated elements and identifying perception dependencies on the frame elements. The properties of an animated frame is systematized. The influence of three factors is considered: composition, color scheme and stylization. The goal of the work is to establish how the animated frame elements effect of the information perception by the viewer. The object of the study is an animation frame. The subject of the study is graphic means of creating an animation frame. The author determined the most effective solutions for interaction with the viewer who watching a cartoon. The methodology for conducting the experiment using the eye tracking technology of differences in visual perception of animated frames with different properties is described. To conduct the experiment, appropriate stimulus material was developed. The task was formulated for the observers, which they solved during the experiment. When processing the data obtained during the experiment, statistical multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The 40 observers took part in the experiment. Based on the obtained data, graphs of the dependence of viewing parameters on the properties of frame elements were constructed, which are presented in the article. The results of experiment showed that composition affects the speed of information perception and the length of the gaze path depends on the color scheme, composition, and stylization. The results can be used in the development of animated frames. The novelty of the work lies in the complex analysis of the elements of the animation frame and identifying the influence of the elements of the frame on its visual appeal. Similar studies of the animated frame have not been conducted to date. This is actual for creating an expressive animation frames and immersing the viewer in the atmosphere of the cartoon.

Keywords: Artistic space, animation space, expressiveness of an animation frame, oculography methods, experimental research, eye-tracking technology, animation, color scheme, composition, stylization

Abstract: This article examines the classical architectural order as a material mechanism for ideological production and cultural identity construction in twentieth-century political systems. It analyzes the strategic appropriation of stable classical elements by power regimes to legitimize and spatially implement ideological programs. Architecture is not a passive symbol but active social practice, where ideological constructs materialize in spatial forms and are internalized through bodily and ritual experience of the monumental environment. The framework synthesizes dialectical methodology (Marxist tradition) with the Russian school's activity-based approach, interpreting architectural design as collective activity where ideology is objectified and reproduced. Conceptual enrichment integrates Saint-Girons' aesthetic theory of power and Benjamin's concept of the politicization of aesthetics to analyze visual strategies; Carey's ritual communication model to understand collective identity formation through spatial experience; and Derrida's deconstructivist method to uncover ideological hierarchies in architectural language. The empirical basis is a comparative analysis of three twentieth-century cases of ideological classicism: liberal democratic, fascist, and socialist models. The novelty lies in developing an interdisciplinary framework shifting focus from traditional art historical description to processual analysis of ideological production mechanisms in space. The study demonstrates that the classical order's effectiveness as a power instrument derives not from immanent formal properties but from the dialectic between structural stability and ideological fluidity, resolved in specific socio-historical practice of construction and ritual spatial appropriation. Comparative analysis reveals a universal operational mechanism for working with classical language across heterogeneous political systems through recoding, deconstruction of the original canon, and synthesis with new ideological programs. Monumental architecture functions as political mobilization technology, where aesthetic modes organize collective perception and transform abstract power order into lived, corporeal reality. The results open prospects for critically analyzing contemporary architectural practices in constructing national identity and substantiate architecture as integral to ideological production.

Keywords: classical order, architecture of power, ideological production, cultural identity, theory of contradiction, theory of practice, politicization of aesthetics, ritual communication, monumental architecture, dialectical method

Abstract: The article is devoted to the study of the fresco ensemble of the Church of St. Mary and St. Clement in Schwarzrheindorf. The object of this study is the Romanesque church in Schwarzrheindorf, built in the mid-12th century by Arnold von Wied, chancellor of king Conrad III and archbishop of Cologne. It has preserved a unique ensemble of Romanesque frescoes, which is the subject of this work. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the influence of a number of medieval monuments on the concept of the iconographic program and monumental decoration of the double church of Schwarzreindorf, especially its upper chapel. In this work, using formal-stylistic and iconographic analysis, as well as a historical-biographical method, a close connection was demonstrated between the paintings of the upper church of Schwarzrheindorf and the monumental decoration of the churches of Ravenna and the church of St. Andrew and St. Mary of the Premonstratensian Abbey in Knechtsteden. This allowed us to put forward a hypothesis about the influence on this project of Arnold von Wied's childhood friend, Anselm of Havelberg, who became Archbishop of Ravenna in 1155, as well as the curator of the construction of the Knechtsteden Abbey Church, Dean of Cologne Cathedral Albert of Aachen. Comparing the image of the angel in the lower church program with the image of the "operacio" from the abbey of Stablot made it possible to clearly demonstrate the nature of the influence of another close friend of Arnold von Wied ‒ Wibald von Stablo, abbot of the abbeys of Stablo and Corvey ‒ on the creation of the fresco ensemble of the lower church. Demonstrating these connections and stylistic parallels allowed the author to formulate a number of conclusions and arguments that shed light on both the possible influences and models that inspired the pictorial ensemble of this church, as well as on the creation and dating of the decorative program of the upper and lower churches of Schwarzrheindorf.

Keywords: Schwarzreindorf, monumental decoration, iconographic program, upper chapel, Knechtsteden, frescoes, interpretation, Ravenna, influences, Arnold von Wied

Abstract: The study substantiates the universal properties of cultural archetypes of Male and Female, characterizing the connection of individual and collective, unconscious manifestations in the products of human creative activity based on the artistic representation of images in Chinese traditional and modern culture. The subject of the study is Chinese realistic painting as a form of culture and worldview, striving to reproduce the authenticity of the image and its external similarity to reality. The object of the research is the artistic representation of cultural archetypes and symbols of the masculine and feminine principles as universals of collective memory. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the archetypal content of the image of "Father" and "Mother" in Chinese fine art, from antiquity to the present in the context of the search for authentic symbols in ancient Chinese traditional painting and painting of the twentieth century. Special attention is paid to examples of the representation of patrimonial archetypal symbols in Chinese painting during the Cultural Revolution and the transformation of masculine images in the "art of scars." Similarly, feminine archetypal symbols are considered, dating back to the ancient beliefs and cults of the "Great Mother", which were embodied not only in ancient Guohua painting, but also in socialist realism painting, as well as in the "art of scars". The methodological basis of the work is a semiotic approach implemented in the concepts of Russian cultural scientists, art historians and Chinese specialists studying gender symbolism in painting. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a meaningful analysis of the archetypal forms of Chinese painting, conducted by the method of comparative description of visual images in the context of traditional visual means, as well as against the background of socio-cultural changes of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which marked the birth of a national state for China. The conclusions about the similarity of gender symbols in different styles and genres of painting are new, regardless of historical time and socio-cultural context, due to their connection with the primordial, archetypal properties of expressing the image of "Father" and "Mother". The research results and conclusions are based on a culturological understanding of the phenomenon of Chinese realistic painting as a phenomenon of social life and a manifesto of a new type of worldview that retains its connection with the deep structures of the collective unconscious.

Keywords: cultural archetypes, The cultural code, Chinese traditional painting, Chinese realistic painting, gender symbols, The image of the father, the image of the mother, The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, social realism, Scar Art

Abstract: This study analyzes the history of the development of the oil painting art market in contemporary China, examines the structure and features of the existing art market, as well as analyzes the problems occurring in the process of its formation. The aim of the article is to reveal the stages of development of the main subjects (artists, collectors, art consultants) and institutions (art galleries, auction houses, exhibition spaces, museums) of the oil painting art market in China, which, interacting with each other, create, circulate, and consume art. The objectives of the article are to first consider the approaches to studying this phenomenon and then the stages of the formation of the Chinese auction market, to uncover the role of art galleries and art exhibitions in shaping and developing the structure of the modern Chinese art market. The specificity of the research determined the need for a systematic approach, as the painting art market in China is considered as a complex and multifaceted socio-cultural phenomenon. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that it identifies the features of the functioning of the painting market in China at present, as well as noting that the traditions of art collecting during this period of the country's cultural development are only being formed due to economic stabilization and the emergence of a number of institutions. In addition, the main problems are identified, and prospects for their resolution are outlined. As a result, the article discusses three stages of the formation of the Chinese auction market, four stages of the establishment of art galleries, and stages of development of exhibitions showcasing oil paintings, including national ones. In conclusion, as a way to address the existing problems, the necessity of continuously enhancing the competency level of collectors specializing in contemporary Chinese artists' works is indicated.

Keywords: China, art market, oil painting, art gallery, auction, art exhibition, formation and development, national art, visual arts, collector

Abstract: The article is devoted to understanding the design approach, invented in the early 2010s by the French designer-researcher P. Levy – “kansei design”. Following the researcher, the authors of the article consider “kansei design” as a direction focused on the development of a designer's special sensitivity (Japanese “kansei”). Since the design of kansei was formed in Japan, it turned out to be associated with the Japanese aesthetic tradition. However, due to the fact that this approach increases the designer's demands on product quality, suggesting more subtle work with meanings, the authors of the article see the relevance of this approach for the development of Russian design. The purpose of the research is to reveal the potential of the concept of “kansei design” in domestic design practice. The methodological basis of the research consists of: the method of problem statement, definition of the concept, formulation of the concept, design experiment, interpretation of experimental results. Summarizing the ideas of P. Levy, who is inspired by the design approach of the Japanese company Muji, and Kenya Hara, the art director of the Muji company itself, the authors of the article consider kansei design as a direction that involves “nurturing the sensitivity” of both the designer and the consumer. This “nurturing of sensitivity” increases the designer's attention to the experience of interacting with a thing and, through this, opens up new opportunities for creating hidden meanings of a product that are revealed to the consumer at some point in time, like a poetic work. According to the authors of the study, this approach opposes the desire for short-term benefits of market pragmatism and is therefore able to fit into the Russian tradition of socially oriented design, which, in addition to commercial tasks, has always had a super-task of human development.

Keywords: sensibility, kansei, kansei engineering, emotional engineering, kansei design, potential of sensibility, potential of kansei, Pierre Levy, Murata Chiaki, Kenya Hara

Abstract: The article explores the phenomenon of marionettes and the practice of their use in realizing the avant-garde ideas of the early 20th century aimed at creating an all-encomassing work of art that would blur the boundaries between art and life. The research focuses on the creative practices of Italian Futurists, Swiss Dadaists, the Bauhaus School, and artists of the Russian diaspora and the young Soviet Union, all of whom shared an interest in the marionette as a self-contained piece of art with a different potential for constructing a new art. This interest resonated with the ideas of innovative theatre directors who advocated replacing live actors with puppet performers, as well as with the evolving societal attitude toward the world of childhood, since children viewed life's events from a different perspective and perceived in them the possibility for social change. The selected corpus of works is analysed with respect to the quality of execution and preservation, development and transformation of the avant-garde aesthetics of the first third of the 20th century. The article further examines the influence of Soviet Russia's ideological program on shaping a new "standard" for a marionette. The findings suggest that the Futurists and Dadaists almost simultaneously took a step toward constructing an abstract marionette form grounded in geometry, elements of Cubism and the "mechanical" movement of the puppet. The Bauhaus School introduced additional constructivist elements into its models drawing on the school's experiments in "mechanical" and spatial ballets. However, most marionettes created by various artistic associations were not devoid of figuration; the artists did not seek to replace imagery with symbolism. In post-revolutionary Russia the images of marionettes in puppet theatres had to be readily understood by audiences, prompting artists to emphasize expressiveness, sculptural qualities, and realism while allowing certain elements of the grotesque to convey the content of the play clearly. Therefore, it is only natural that the innovative ideas of individual masters did not receive a proper response and remained largely unappreciated.

Keywords: avant-garde, futurism, sculpture of the twentieth century, marionettes, Puppet theater, visual arts, avant-garde scultpure, avant-garde marionettes, Dadaism, Constructivism

Abstract: This article discusses the Tan Dun’s "Buddha Passion" through the prism of genre transformation. The purpose of the work is to identify the specifics of the interpretation of Passion in the composer's composition, through the analysis of the libretto, the features of drama and composition, as well as the presence of genre alloys. The composer, following the tradition of Passion, which allows for a free interpretation of primary sources, expands its textual and conceptual framework. Along with the libretto of the genre archetype, where the primary source is the text of the Gospel, in Buddha Passion the composer combines sutras, jatakas, mantras from the Indian and Chinese Buddhist canons, the Taoist treatise "Tao Te Ching", Chinese poetry by Wang Wei. Despite the genre basis of Passion, Tan Dun includes elements of Western European opera, Peking opera, and Buddhist religious chants, which significantly expands the boundaries of the genre. The methodology includes comparative historical, intertextual, and musical-dramatic analysis, which allows us to consider the work under study in the context of a synthesis of the Western European tradition of the Passion genre and Eastern culture. The novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive analysis of the libretto of the work, including consideration of the range of primary sources, their interpretation and the composer's methods of working with the text, as well as in identifying elements of other genres in the Buddha Passion, contributing to the emergence of an original genre fusion in the composition. The results of the work demonstrate that Buddha Passion is a quasi-passion in which the genre archetype is reinterpreted by replacing the traditional gospel plot with Buddhist parables, sutras and mantras, and its musical and dramatic features, along with reliance on archetypal features, combine elements of Western European opera, Buddhist ritual and Peking opera. Thus, in the work under study, Tan Dun presents an original interpretation of the European genre, combining the cultural traditions of the East and the West.

Keywords: interpretation of the Passion genre, genre alloys, Buddha Passion, Tan Dun, Peking opera, East and West, genre synthesis, libretto analysis, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang

Abstract: This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the concepts of silence in the works of John Cage and Toru Takemitsu. The study aims to explore the philosophical origins of the notion of silence, as well as the ways of interpreting and applying the concepts in the musical language of both composers. The analysis includes the historical and cultural context of the formation of Cage's and Takemitsu's aesthetic views, as well as the individual characteristics of their creative paths. Special attention is given to the question of how silence functions in musical time and space, and how it is perceived by the listener and performer. The aim of the paper is to compare Cage's and Takemitsu's approaches to silence and to determine whether the concepts formulated by them persist throughout their works or only manifest in pieces where silence is prominently featured. To this end, non-programmatic compositions that are not devoted to silence are considered, those being Takemitsu's solo piano piece "For Away" and Cage's sixth solo piano etude from the "Etudes Australes" cycle. The research method includes a step-by-step examination of each composer's concepts of silence while taking into account the historical context, philosophical definitions, and an analysis of the musical text, as well as subsequent comparisons. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the analysis of Cage's and Takemitsu's concepts of silence through the lens of lesser-known piano works, which allows tracking the consistency of their aesthetic and philosophical principles. The results of the research reveal several differences in their approaches and concepts of silence, demonstrating its multifaceted nature: silence is not limited to a conventional understanding, but can manifest in various ways—such as the "boundary of the auditory range" or the "flow of continuous music." The paper draws parallels between musical interpretations of silence and other fields of knowledge, such as quantum physics, Indian philosophy, Japanese cultural heritage, and Zen Buddhism. Takemitsu's silence is defined as "spiritual" and "musical," while Cage's silence is characterized as "practical" and "intellectual."

Keywords: concept of silence, treatment of silence, Takemitsu For Away, Cage Etudes Australes, piano solo, silence in music, concept ma, hierarchy, continuous music, silence as music

Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of the specific functioning of the color symbolism of icon painting in poetry, using the example of S.A. Yesenin's "Little Poems" of 1917–1919 – "The Advent", "The Transfiguration", "Pantocrator", where the palette is based on key tones consonant with the colors of thematically related icons. The study of color symbolism in S.A. Yesenin's poetry, connected with the traditions of Old Russian painting, touches upon a number of important scientific fields: historical poetics, the semiotics of color, and art history. The research contributes to understanding the specifics of the dialogue between the poetic text and the visual canon, revealing the mechanisms for translating stable pictorial codes (icon-painting color formulas) into the dynamic space of the word. The aim of the work is to identify the specifics of the dialogue between S.A. Yesenin's poetic text and the visual canon of Russian icon painting, based on the selected poems, through the analysis of color symbolism. The main task is to identify the mechanisms of assimilation and artistic transformation of the color canon of icon painting into poetic imagery for expressing the idea of cosmic transfiguration. This presupposes reliance on the comparative-historical method, hermeneutic approach, and mythopoetic analysis. To systematize the empirical material, a quantitative (statistical) method was also applied, which consisted of a continuous sampling and frequency analysis of color vocabulary. Color in S.A. Yesenin's "Little Poems" performs a dual function, combining natural colors with deep symbolism rooted in the icon-painting canon. The key image of the "red horse" in "Pantocrator" expresses the central conflict of the poet's work – the clash of heavenly harmony with the fiery chaos of revolutionary modernity. The statistical increase in references to the gold color after 1917 testifies an intense search for a sacred foundation in an era of upheaval. The color palette of the poems, built on icon-painting tones (gold, blue, red, white) and devoid of halftones, makes S.A. Yesenin's poetics akin to the aesthetics of the icon-painting canon, where the icon appears as a living bridge between the earthly and the heavenly. The mechanism of translating the stable color formulas of the icon into the dynamic space of the word allows for the visualization of the presence of the Divine.

Keywords: Yesenin, icon painting, color symbolism, color imagery, canon, Little Poems, intertext, Pantocrator, The Advent, Transfiguration