The Roscongress Foundation’s Social Platform organises the Social Impact Lounge at the Russian Investment Forum. The booth is to host a unique exhibition of paintings titled ‘The Inalienable’ (Neotchuzhdaemoye) by artists with special needs. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova will open the exhibition.

The exhibition is to become one of the most significant events of the Social Investment Laboratory to support inclusive agenda. The project is the result of a joint effort of the Roscongress Social Platform and the Rassvet Creative Association with the support of the Government Council for Supporting Social Patronage.

“We want the exhibition to be the first cultural event in Russia that will draw wide audience primarily to the artistic value of paintings created by artists with special needs, and not just to a social charity event. The exhibition will introduce new talented artists not with a medical diagnosis but with special features, conditions determining the uniqueness of their work,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation.

To introduce talented artists, to draw the attention of a wide audience, government and business to the issues of social inclusion by providing social and professional lifts for people with special needs are the key objectives of the exhibition.

“Professional artists just like other professions are not born, to a large extent, personal becoming is determined by a person’s initial abilities. We face a great challenge: on the one hand, the social context should not determine the perception of the artists’ work, since they are not disabled people who can paint well, but professional artists. On the other, it is the social context that is critical to their life and creative perspectives. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to bring up the topic of conditions necessary for people with special needs to unlock the potential of their community involvement, as well as the issue of creating a culture of mutual respect in society at large,” commented Elena Marinina, Deputy CEO, Director for the Socio-Economic Agenda.

“Chance for self-expression through art is perhaps the only thing that allows people with special needs to identify their individuality in our society and to communicate with the outside world. Some works contain symbolic codes, patterns and colour combinations. These messages reveal the miracle of a human mind in its purest form, mind free of standard cognitive experience and the need to comply with a particular social role,” noted Stanislav Petrov, one of the founders of the Rassvet Creative Association, the curator of the exhibition.