Stikovka: Too Munny Robots @ MUM Gallery, Moscow (May 2-8)
From the sublime to the intense - this year's customed-Munnys for STIKOVKA: TOO MUNNY ROBOTS sees a robot-theme by Russian-customizers and artists - currently on exhibit from May 2nd to 8th 2009 at the MUM Gallery, Moscow. Check out all the customs posted on the dedicated Stikovka flickr-album (and remember to leave constructive feedback!), and CLICK THRU for a wee TRE-Q&A with organizer / curator Sergey Safonov (of Lunohod-1 and Rotocasted.com)
TOYSREVIL: I remember discovering and first posting about Stikovka back in 2006 (which also featured Munnys). Which year is this Stikovka-event? Or rather how many Stikovda-events has there been since the beginning?
SERGEY SAFONOV: This exhibition opened this saturday in MUM Gallery, Moscow. Almost all of the customs was finished last week. It's our tenth, I guess, exhibition and we've started in summer 2005.
TOYSREVIL: Congrats on your tenth then, Sergey! In previous shows with platform-figures like Munnys, Qees, AllCity-Style Trains and Shikitos - there doesn't seem to be an obvious "show-theme" ... and this year's is...?
SERGEY SAFONOV: Robots! We didn't "theme" our events before and didn't narrow artists imaginations with "themes" giving them platforms to customize, but this time I decided to give it a try. And it turned out as a nice name for the event :)
[47-images total in slideshow]
TOYSREVIL: Subtle and effective, IMHO. Very apt. How is the participation this year, compared to previous?
SERGEY SAFONOV: Almost all of the participants was veterans from our previous events. There was several first timers, but you can't really tell it's their first custom ever.
TOYSREVIL: One can't ever judge on quantity of participation versus quality of submission, I always say! How is the customizing scene, as well as designer vinyl toy scene in Russia now?
SERGEY SAFONOV: Customizing scene is pretty much our exhibition and people who are participating. Same as the whole scene here it's ridiculously small. We're working on it to grow, but our country is the other world for this kind of things.
If you're interested you might check Dot Dot Dash book, Russia section. There's resin, plush and custom works to check out.
TOYSREVIL: I'm looking to you Sergey, for being the nexus of all-things art toy scene in Russia! With the given selection of customs on show - how can any interested collectors outside of Russia get ahold of these customs?
SERGEY SAFONOV: Just contact with me directly at sergeysafonov@gmail.
