Belarusian Paintings Come to Life: Bold Digital Project by A1 and National Arts Museum

A1 and the National Arts Museum have launched an exciting digital project – The Gallery of Live Paintings. It's a series of animated videos that will be displayed for a month on the big screen of the Galleria Minsk shopping mall and on the VOKA streaming platform. The project uses state-of-the-art visual technologies to reinvent some of the most outstanding works by Belarusian painters, aiming to highlight the mesmerizing variety of our national artistic patrimony.

The first part of the project covers paintings across different historical periods and artistic styles, from the 1800s realism to the works created in the mid-1900s. This approach allows viewers to appreciate the diversity of Belarus' artistic heritage and look at the familiar works of art through a new lens.

By using motion design and digital animation, the project brought to life works by Yudel Pan, Ivan Khrutsky, and Anton Barkhatkov. The key role in creating the animations was played by designers and artists who worked on movements, facial expressions, mood, and other details, while trying to preserve the artistic language of the original works. During post-production, the team used AI tools to smooth out the graphics.

The animated videos are available on the VOKA streaming platform for free and with no sign-up needed!

"The cultural heritage of Belarus is an important part of A1's ESG strategy. We believe that advanced technologies help reimagine art and bring it closer to a wider audience. This project stands for digitalization, attention to detail, and deference to original works of art", says a spokesperson for A1.

Portrait of Marc Chagall by Yudel Pan is among the most valued pieces of art at the National Art Museum. By looking at the digital version of the painting, you can see much more than just a static image. Chagall smiles at his teacher, takes off his hat, puts down his palette, and looks you in the eye, as if about to step outside the painting.

Another artwork is The First Song, a 1950s painting by Anton Barkhatkov which is on the permanent display at the National Art Museum. In its animated version, you can see a little girl playing the piano, dangling her legs, and singing. Beside her there is woman – closely resembling the artist's wife – who might be her mother or her teacher. Behind the window, a sun-soaked landscape is being filled with movement and light.

The Portrait of an Unknown Woman with Flowers and Fruit by Ivan Khrutsky is among the most recognizable works displayed at the Museum. The painting is often reproduced on cards, postmarks, and banknotes. By looking at its digital version, viewers can examine the minute details of the painting and watch the facial expressions of a mysterious stranger change as she picks a grape, tastes it, and arranges flowers in the vase.

"We find it important to illustrate the captivating variety of Belarusian art, from the 19th century classics to the notable works of the 20th century. By showing familiar artworks from a different perspective, The Gallery of Live Paintings targets younger audiences that are used to consume visual content through state-of-the-art technologies. Rather than a replacement, we see it as yet another way of looking at and understanding art", says the spokesperson for the National Art Museum.