Today's video presentation, about the artists who oppose excessive consumption and protect the environment, was prepared by Aleksey Stepanov, a pupil of the secondary school No. 48 of the Voroshilovsky district of Volgograd. You can watch the video at the link below: https://youtu.be/2C6DqXUXpcY

We asked the author to answer a few additional questions.

What prompted you to choose this particular topic out of all the topics suggested for the project?

Alexey Stepanov:

"The topic of contemporary art is really unique and exciting to me, because it allows one to combine many useful and exciting activities: creating something new, helping nature, furthering one's personal development and, at the same time, enjoying the process. Art tends to bring out the best in people, reveal their potential. Perhaps, it is art that can speak louder than any educational speeches, and will be able to draw a larger audience's attention to solving important problems. Each of us can do something, which will tip the scales and change the overall situation. Even if it is just a small step, this step is very important.

"For example, the artist I was talking about (Taylor) is making unique sculptures that, on the one hand, are helping the nature, and, on the other hand, are showing today's people what interesting artifacts we used in the past (typewriter, etc.)"

In the first half of your video, you were talking about how artists oppose environmental pollution in their works – have you come across this topic in the works by Volgograd artists?

Alexey Stepanov:

"Off the top of my head, I would cite several examples. Firstly, one day my class and I took part in an eco-themed event and made several birdhouses. And for this event, an artist paid a visit to our school, who was not only making amazing birdhouses himself, but also painting them – and he painted ours, too. After that, our birdhouses turned into works of art. Then we attached them to the trees together in the park.

"Secondly, what I really like is the painted fence next to the water drain in our city. This fence was a project realized by a group of Volgograd artists. They depicted on it the whole process of water purification, starting with the water being taken from the Volga, and ending with the water flowing out of our taps. I think that upon seeing how complicated this process is, everyone will treat nature more carefully, consume water more economically, and remember to turn off the tap every single time. Water must not be wasted! In addition, this fence is very pleasant to look at, it is more than just gray concrete, and so the people walking past it, to work and back home, can feel the art coming into their lives and cheer themselves up."

For those who did not watch the video till the end: could you, please, tell us a little more about how you yourself recycle old things and empty packages?

Alexey Stepanov:

"One of my interesting and useful hobbies is repairing and collecting used items. I like trying to give them a new function, so that they could be used and made useful again. For example, I have an old clock taken from a ZIL car, which is still running, and which I am using at home to tell the time...

"I also grow flowers and use recyclable materials to make cache-pots and decorations for them. Here are a few options: I made ladybugs from plastic spoons, butterflies and a dragonfly - from plastic bottles, then I made a Ball Catcher from a plastic bottle and Kinder Surprise containers, a flower pot - from a metal tin can and wooden ice cream sticks. It all comes down only to one's fantasy and creativity."