Head of the Department of Arts and Environmental Design – Igor N. Dukhan, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Candidate of Sciences in Architecture.
The Department of Arts and Environmental Design provides training for designers (‘Design of Subject-Spatial Environment’, ‘Art Design’) and masters in Art History. The department was established in 2000, and its activities resumed a significant chapter in the advancement of university research in the field of arts, closely linked with the contributions of Nikolay Shchekotikhin (1920–1930s), the founder of the Belarusian science of art.
The approach to teaching design students blends professional training in modern visual trends, computer modeling, design engineering focused on fostering creative vision and environmental imagination, and the use of current design strategies and virtual technologies. The department’s style embodies a fusion of classical and contemporary design trends, as well as both national and global art and design practices. Students delve into contemporary global design and creative trends, exploring various technologies and mediums such as wood, metal, glass, synthetic materials, and nanomaterials. They also study the historical and cultural influences of both the United Kingdom and Belarusian art and design, along with design engineering and modern shaping techniques in depth. Senior students specialise in areas such as interior and urban design, exhibition design, and art design. First-hand practical experience is acquired via internships at prestigious design institutes, design workshops, and furniture and design showrooms. Coursework and diploma projects encompass a wide range of topics, from imaginative explorations of future scenarios and new design concepts to practical considerations like urban environment design, design of residential interiors and office spaces, as well as visual communications in the realm of design art objects.
The master’s program in Art History is innovative and international in nature. The curriculum integrates current theories and practical application, with instruction delivered by renowned national and international experts in art history, design, virtual technologies, and art management. Emphasising contemporary methodologies in art and design, the program explores the Belarusian art phenomenon within European contexts, conducts on-site analysis and interpretation of architectural and artistic landmarks, and delves into topics such as new design, contemporary art, and virtual reality, as well as new designing strategies incorporating the latest computer software. Special seminars led by experts from Belarus, Russia, Germany, France, Poland, and Israel focus on various aspects of modern shaping and design in art.
The primary focus of master’s training revolves around the individual creative projects undertaken by each student, who is guided by esteemed experts in their respective fields. These projects integrate both scientific research and practical design components. Some successfully defended master’s thesis researches include topics such as ‘Contemporary Art and Design: Problems of Interaction at the Turn of the 20th and 21st Centuries’, ‘Shaping in the Chinoiserie Style’, ‘Estate Reconstruction in Bogdanovo’, ‘The Artistic Representation of Neoclassicism in Minsk’, ‘Vertical Gardening in Modern Architecture’, ‘Ethnic Design and Contemporary Belarusian Culture’, and ‘Corporeality Concepts in Modern Paratheatrical Practices’, among others.
The Department of Arts and Environmental Design has cultivated significant pedagogical expertise. It is a workplace for such outstanding scholars as Professor and Doctor of Art History O.D. Bazhenova, the author of scientific publications on the history of Belarusian art of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism; representatives of the national school of painting, graphics and decorative arts, members of the Belarusian Union of Artists N.A. Rachkovskaya, G.B. Kozel, K.P. Melnik-Subtelnaya, I. S. Moygis, the best designers and architects Ye. N. Matrosova, V.A. Tsionskaya, I. I. Balunenko, experts in modern technologies and materials, associate professors A.S. Pardayev and S.S. Utgof as well as other teachers who combine teaching with their proactive approach. Throughout the course of its existence, the Department has been enriched by the contributions of esteemed figures from national art, design, and science, who have laid the foundation for its academic and design traditions. Among them are Professor A. A. Bartashevich, renowned for his classic textbooks on design and engineering; Professor P. A. Semchenko, the pioneer of the Belarusian school of calligraphy and graphic design; and Professor A. S. Grinberg, a distinguished researcher in cybernetics and computer modeling and a laureate of the USSR State Prize. Currently, the Department is headed by Professor I. N. Dukhan, an architect, designer, philosopher, renown expert in Art and Design theory, whose works have been published widely in Belarus, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the USA.
Students and master’s degree candidates of the department actively participate in the National Festival of Architecture (Minsk), the ‘Art Session’ contest in Vitebsk, the Cannes Advertising Festival, the Poster Contest in Madrid, the ‘Salone Satellite’ in Milan, ‘Design Format’ (Minsk), other national & international festivals, art and design competitions. Among the laureates are Angelina Pischikova (Cannes Silver Lion), Yuri Alekhno (Salone Satellite winner), etc.
International cooperation stands as one of the primary objectives of the Department’s endeavours. Esteemed foreign colleagues such as C. Millet, editor-in-chief of ‘Art Press’ (Paris); Prof. C. Krinsky at New York University; Prof. J. Barash and Prof. W. Gay from Paris and the University of North Carolina respectively; Prof. J. Purchla from the International Cultural Centre in Krakow; and A. Rottenberg and L. Tarasewicz from the Warsaw Academy of Arts, enrich our understanding of contemporary global art and design by conducting various master classes and lectures. The Department also hosts a series of international conferences, seminars, and exhibitions that have become influential platforms for the advancement of modern culture. Notable events include UNESCO’s International Conference Avant-garde and Cultures, Art, Design, Cultural Environment; conferences such as ‘Art and Philosophy’, ‘Minsk–Krakow: Cultural Heritage of the 20th Century’, and ‘Minsk–Berlin: Art and Space”; as well as seminars in collaboration with esteemed institutions like the Centre for Contemporary Art of Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg University, Bauhaus (Germany), University of Stuttgart, Berlin Technical University, University of North Carolina, universities of Rome and Bologna, and the Italian Association for Industrial Design.
Address: Minsk, 96 Mayakovsky Street, Room 221.
tel.: +37517 3437925