[SergeiSK]

Today's "Spark" on the show:

An elderly French gallery owner, member of the fair "Art-Kyiv" Albert Benhamou is a list. Sheet is divided into two halves, one pluses fair - free WiFi and pretty girls. In another - the customs, the lack of advertising, bad electricity works. Him to have something to compare: Benhamou participates in fairs of contemporary art since 1980 and the first in his biography was a respectable Parisian "Fiak. Because of the draconian laws of import-export of works of art in Ukraine Benhamou forced to sell the same Ukrainian artists Tistol and Sidorenko, Kiev that his colleagues on the right and left.
At the fair, especially noticeable how little the Ukraine of its stars of contemporary art. And as these stars are freely dispose of their creativity, not entering into exclusive contracts with dealers in art, as is customary throughout the world. Artist Chichkan sold in five galleries, but only one went to "monkey in a crown of thorns." "Monkey" was hanged in the lancet window behind which lights up the bell tower of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. A few days before the opening on the installation of an exhibition in a neighbor's bestowed Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev. He tolerated no attention to the tasty naked girls - branded theme of Ukrainian art, but by "Monkey" was unable to pass, had called blasphemous and ordered to withdraw. Russia has already subscribed to gonfalon and prosecutors. But Kiev gallerists feel safe, they are lucidly explained the Metropolitan that they live in a secular state and "monkeys" are not going to shoot. However, and sell it immediately failed.
Participants Fair "Art-Kyiv" free from prejudice, it seems that they were going to play an exciting adventure, where each player - or an artist or gallery owner. There's just collectors. For example, Gallery Tanya /Vova "from Kharkov sells sandwiches Boris Mikhailov, an artist with an international name. "Sandwiches" Mikhailov started doing back in 1980 with a double exposure. Tanya and Vova little picture is worth 7000 dollars more - 15,000. Even though they are printed on the figure and at the end of zero. Prices romping even by European standards. But sales Tanya and Vova said quietly, and so they have everything in order - Vova in Kharkov factory of sparkling wines. Sour Kharkov brut flows like water in plastic cups. Cups dismantle director of the Museum of Modern Art in Dusseldorf, Gregor Janssen, curator of "Guggenheim" Valerie Higgins and director of the Swiss-art Foundation "Rolf Lauter. Formally, the first persons of the art industry arrived at a round table. In fact, for exploration. They are interested in Ukraine, with its turbulent political life, with its Slavic spirit, with its coal and metal money which will someday be spent on art.
While the world knows only one Ukrainian collector - in-law Kuchma, tycoon and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk and mistakenly believe that he is not alone. That Pinchuk had to make a luxurious space of the Arsenal, where the Fair "Art-Kyiv", the Museum of Modern Art. In 2004, they even opened the first museum exhibition with a symbolic title "A Farewell to Arms."
The Orange Revolution messed things up. Arsenal forcibly returned to state ownership. Still, Yushchenko personally chose this fantastic building of XVIII century for a party on the occasion of Independence Day. 30 thousand square meters (for comparison: the Moscow Manege - only 12 thousand), windows open and on its laurels, and a monument to the victims of Holodomor. Arsenal is now a steady hand manages luxurious blonde Natalia Zabolotnaya. They say that behind it is an influential man, deputy Igor Savchenko. In fact, "Art-Kyiv" - is not only a presentation of high calorific oil painting mythical Ukrainian artists to collectors, but also a representation of an unprecedented exhibition space western curators. It was in this old arsenal every two years is the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale.
Perhaps its Biennale will establish and Kiev. Foreign experts have already expressed a timid desire to connect. Probably, it will become a symbol of the former commissioner of the Ukrainian pavilion in Venice and the most "major" collector of Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko. They say that in his office, too, something which is hanging art - abstract painting of Sylvester Stallone.
Anna Mongayt
magazine Ogonyok »№ 45 (5154) on 15.11.2010