The theatre Pokrovsky Opera in Moscow is known for its diverse and innovative repertoire, with Russian rarities playing alongside European favourites all sung in their original languages, as well as for its individual style combined with the almost intimate atmosphere of a chamber theatre. The new visual style of the poster series shares a simple and colourful eye-catching concept. The aim was to focus on the stylistic laconic brevity and the high artistic quality of the performances, as well as on the cultural and social engagement of the theatre. To achieve this, the design employed a collage technique to combine an array of style elements, different in form and content, to illustrate, for example, Mozart's operas Idomeneo and The Magic Flute or Stravinsky's Pulcinella. The resulting eye-catching motifs make beholders curious and inspire them to think about the content and the ideas conveyed in the individual pieces.

On Idomeneo: "Idomeneo is not Mozart's most popular opera and wasn't a great success during his life. With all of its plot twists and turns, sea storms and earthquakes, gods and monsters, bloody sacrifices and redemptive love combining thriller and horror themes Idomeneo was a kind of blockbuster much ahead of its time. It was Richard Strauss who reopened this opera to the audience 150 years later with some changes in 1931. Thus, Idomeneo is one of the most unusual opera that combines two different styles, two different epochs.

We wanted this poster to communicate a clear link between the two epochs and musical themes with a strong graphic reference to the 1930s – the time when opera received its present form and was returned to the stage. My personal most favorite thing about this poster is that it hints to Deus ex machina principle used in the plot which brings the story to a happy ending."

Pokrovsky Opera posters project received Red Dot: Best of the Best in the Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2013, one of the largest and most acclaimed international design competitions. In a process lasting several days, the international jury evaluated every single one of the approximately 6,800 entries live and on site. Every year, a few works stand out from the overall pool of high-quality submissions – and are awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best. This year, the red dot jury granted only 62 Red Dot: Best of the Best awards for exceptional creative achievements in the field of communication design.

Statement by the jury:

"The posters for Pokrovsky Opera surprises with its well-balanced interplay of design style and colouring. The way the abstract motifs for the often interpreted, classic programme, were realized is unusual. Their design quotes Russian poster art from the 1930s, yet manages to emerge as a modern, self-sufficient expression."