The Rule of the Exception

To advance diagnostics and treatment of rare illnesses

March 4 - 15, 2020

Rating: 6+

The Takeda Pharmaceutical Company together with the Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Design and Applied Arts and the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation will present the exhibition "The Rule of the Exception". The winners of the international art competition for students at art schools and universities "Takeda.Art/Help 'The Rule of the Exception'" and also director Veniamin Ilyasov are showing their works as part of a social and cultural project to advance diagnostics and treatment of rare diseases. The pieces on display deal with the topics of the will to live and recognition of the uniqueness of life. The curator of the project is Sergei Khachaturov.

Elena Kartasheva, president of Takeda Russia, outlines the idea of the project:
"'Takeda. ART/HELP' is a social and artistic project that was launched four years ago. We have used the language of art to talk about overcoming one's limitations and circumstances, as well as about new technologies and how they are transforming our lives. Right now we are saying how important it is to support people with rare diseases. Initiating this project we wanted to remind everyone that we are all very different and that each of us is unique and endowed with exceptional qualities. Because of that, it is important for everyone to feel that they are cared for by those closest once and are supported by both the community and the government. Each new day is a victory over illness for patients with rare diseases and for their families, and they very much need our support and attention."

The displays in the exhibition are divided into three sections. The first one presents the artworks by the winners and runners up in the 2019 international art competition. The competition was open for entries from 18 November 2019 through 18 January 2020, and during that period the organising committee received about 250 entries from 69 cities in 22 countries. The jury selected 50 pieces for the exhibition, and among them are the seven winning ones - the first prize entry, two that won second prizes, and three that placed third - and also one that received special mention from the Takeda Company. The co-organiser of the competition was the Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Design and Applied Arts.

The project's curator Sergei Khachaturov has noted:
"People often use the catch phrase 'The exception proves the rule.' But that is not at all true when applied to human society. Every person is an exception. People are all unique and need to be approached as individuals, not in some generalized 'correct' way. In that sense this is the great humanitarian message of civilization. Caring for each individual, special person is our obligation and duty. Artists of the younger generation have taken up the theme of 'The Rule of the Exception' for the competition held by the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, which specializes in developing innovative treatments for patients with rare diseases. The theme was chosen to bring the realms of humanitarian science and art closer together. And of course all artists are themselves unique because of their exceptional ability to be creative."

The second area of the exhibition offers an audio-visual installation created especially for the project by artists Sergei Mironenko, Oleg Makarov and Marina Rudenko. There will also be an information zone where materials from the Russian Association of Rare (Orphan) Diseases, the Russian Haemophilia Society, the Hunter Syndrome Society, the "Wind of Hope" NGO for Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome and Metabolic Disorders, and the "Trust" Interregional Organisation for Support of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) will be displayed. In this zone voices of Russian patients talking about themselves and their dreams will be heard.

Finally, the third area presents a highlight: a cinema theatre that will be screening two short features by director Veniamin Ilyasov, who works with the Gogol Centre, Praktika Theatre and Mayakovsky Theatre. In the short feature "The Applicant" Igor Yasulovich and Tatiana Vedeneeva show how the main character gets a chance to change his life even in the midst of hardship. The second short feature is "Students", which tells a story about cleverly overcoming the obstacles to discovering a talent that then unleashes a unique natural gift. These video shorts were made in collaboration with the Moscow Art Theatre School, a partner in the project.

Two monumental pieces by Dmitri Gretsky created in collaboration with his fellow artist Evgenia Katz as part of the "Terracotta Worriers" series will also be on display. They are from the collection of the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation.

Background information

Takeda Russia has been in the Russian market for 27 years and is one of the top 10 companies in the pharmaceutical sector. Takeda Russia is part of the international pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited headquartered in Tokio, Japan. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on following therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience and Hematology. Takeda is focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives. The company strives to increase access to the innovative treatment for the Russian patientsand has localized production of innotative drugs at its facility in Yaroslavl and at the sites of its partners.

Rare diseases are those with a prevalence of no more than 10 cases in a population of 100,000. Some 80% of rare diseases are genetic and typically affect patients throughout their lives, often from early childhood. Among rare illnesses are Hunter syndrome, Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, haemophilia, hereditary angioedema, and primary immunodeficiency disorder among others. In the Russian Federation about one million people may suffer from rare diseases.

Early diagnosis, personalized treatment and prevention of sevire complications of diseases increase effectiveness of treatment of patients with rare diseases. Thanks to advances in medical science and the discovery of new treatments, these patients are living longer with substantially improved quality of life.

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For additional information please contact:
Anna Svergun, Natalia Vorobiova, Anton Mirimanov
Phone: +7 (905) 544-18-83
artpr@svergun.ru | a.svergun@gmail.com | vorobiova71@gmail.com | anmirim@yandex.ru

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