Development of the Regional Art Market: Follow Moscow or Choose Original Path?
The contemporary art agenda in the region is growing every year. Important stimuluses were the years 2020 and 2022, when restrictions on international development turned all the power of cultural actors to the Russian regions.
In Krasnoyarsk there is the oldest biennale, in Vladivostok there is the Arka gallery, whose age is equal to the age of the entire Russian art market. And now, when an increasing number of institutions, partners and individuals are actively involved in regional art, the question arises: will the regional contemporary art have its own development path or does it need to adopt already proven models of Moscow or St. Petersburg?
The discussion will focus on the issue of the art market, which, despite its commercial component, is the most important element in the functioning of the entire artistic environment. The lineup of speakers should outline various approaches to the problem raised: Alexander Sharov is the founder of the Moscow's Gallery 11.12, which has a branch in Singapore and now represents artists from various cities, Elena Zdorova is the founder of the Gvozd gallery in Novosibirsk, Pierre Brochet is a collector who has vast experience working with the regions of Russia. Moderator – Polina Tolokova – director of the Association of Galleries, which has been systematically supporting the art market in the country since 2020.
How Can an Artist from the Region Build a Career? Current Ways of Promotion.
Despite the active development of the regional agenda, a somehow established art market still functions only in Moscow. At first glance, the goals of promoting an emerging artist seem obvious: getting into a reputable gallery, going through institutional residencies and workshops, being shown at a fair, and so on. But in practice, everything is much more complicated: how to form a price if Moscow pricing is not relevant for the region? How can an artist live in a hometown if there is no developed art market and no income? How to cope with the problems of expensive logistics, insurance and other difficulties associated with geographical remoteness?
To update existing ways of promotion, identify their shortcomings and jointly find a solution, we gathered speakers with different points of view. Anastasia Panova, the founder of the Nizhny Novgorod gallery Futuro, which represents artists from different regions of Russia, has invaluable experience in dealing with these problems. Polina Tolokova – director of the Association of Galleries, which has been systematically supporting the art market in the country since 2020. Sanya Zakirov and Vladimir Nasedkin are artists with different backgrounds who know from their own experience all the difficulties of an artist's career. Moderator – Oksana Budulak – curator, art critic, head of the sector of curatorial practices at The Ploschad Mira Museum Center, has been promoting artists for almost 15 years.
Cultural Fundraising in Turbulent Times: Is it Possible?
The most pressing issue for institutional participants in the art market is fundraising. Whatever model of development of the art market we focus on: Asian, American, European - the main driving force is always raising funds. But in our practice this culture is not sufficiently developed. Institutions (museums, galleries, foundations and others) have been looking for sponsors for years who are ready to support the implementation of projects and the development of artists.
In recent years the situation has become even more complex. What fundraising trends are there today? Where to look for sponsors, what to offer them? Does the Russian economy have the potential to involve large corporations in systematically supporting art?
Experts from major institutions shared their experience and made an attempt to protect listeners from potential mistakes. Yulia Petrova is the director of the Museum of Russian Impressionism, which not only collaborates with major partners, but also accepts online donations. Pierre Brochet is a collector who has vast experience working with the regions of Russia. Nikita Korytin is director of the Yekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, which works with major partners and receives various grants. Moderator – Evgenia Getinger – art historian, art consultant, lecturer at the British Higher School of Design and the Moscow School of Contemporary Art.