One of the oldest art galleries in Moscow 15 years. Globally, the term appears small, but for "Aidan Gallery" during this period was an era: from the close attics and unknown artists to move to the "winery", international exhibitions and the real interest from viewers and clients from outside, not from a narrow hangouts critics and colleagues.
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And then once in 1992: time, not attaching to the art.
Not a word! Monstrous year was very heavy. The boom of contemporary Russian art is over. For our entire market then was aimed at foreigners, but they are just in time for 1992-mu almost disappeared. And then it's understanding of disaster - contemporary art does not need anybody else, but we need to survive. There has recently published an article analyzing Russia's art market: the total sales of "Art-Moscow" in 1999 amounted to only 57 thousand doll.Kogda I read it, it literally burst into tears. But in the early 90's with us and that was not there. We have tried to attach the work of at least U.S. $ 500 to pay rent and paint-brush artists to buy. While the positive side, too, were. For example, in 1998, after the crisis, we were all the same: we have, and so there was nothing, and the crisis we have experienced in 1993.
That is, "Aidan Gallery" have already developed immunity to crises?
It turns out so. Since 1993 th to 1997 in my gallery was not sold a single work. Had to rotate and work on the secondary market, advising on the sale of collections. I even wanted to do this project, but somehow still not done: put the three pictures, which some Shishkin, Aivazovsky and Polenova, our "bestsellers" and the right to hang up a list of exhibitions that we have arranged the money from their sale . But we begin with a complete zero. I had to explain to the artists who received the restructuring of several thousand dollars for work that now all this will not be. But intuitively I knew that we have any means to survive this decline, to maintain prices at the expense of the domestic market, then to go to the western uroven.Malo who analyzed it and realized, but the creation of "Aidan Gallery" in an absolutely hopeless time gave some impetus to market and hope the artists who experienced neshutochnye break from a sharp devaluation.
and due to what was awakened interest in contemporary art in Russia's domestic market?
Education! I understand that it is necessary to communicate with people, educate them, to tell, but unobtrusively. By the way, art-critic is only now beginning to perform some sort of significant role in this process. And more recently they have written large, very clever article, but only for knowledgeable people. This is my main claim to critics: it described the situation inside, and had obyasnyats zero. That is, literally: why had they all looked at Vasnetsov, and now we must look at the Kulick, who is Kabakov and so on.
When the "Aidan Gallery" was the closest to the closure?
Yes every month. When at the end of the month had to pay for the rent, pay the money to artists and to prepare the next exhibition, I give up in despair, I give up and close the gallery. I was then very rescued Selina (Elena Selina, curator of the «XL-Gallery."), Which each time I called and was crying and she said: "Do not even think!" It was a long-term care in the negative, we have formed mountains of debt, and only by 2000 gallery went to zero. But now the situation is much better, we have a new great room, we know that in a month we can sell this much and get around so much, then there came the long-awaited stability.
And the state's interest in contemporary art?
Well, for example, a department of modern art is in the Tretyakov Gallery, but they have no funds to purchase works. In general, since 1992 the situation has not changed: the state and contemporary art as existed in the parallel spaces, and there are now. While that's Administration of the President has helped us to make the project "Art-field. And in general, thank God, the system is built so - at least with regard to the market leaders - that the state responds to the contemporary art or not, we are on the drum.
What has changed over these 15 years in professional terms? Developed into whether any code gallerist?
Sure! And for the same things that the West is natural, we arrived at independently. We have to get used to new conditions, which for Western gallerists already the norm: for example, a steady stream of visitors. Previously, we were sitting in the attic at the Falcon, and if someone came to us - only the client, through friends, by agreement and so on. And now comes the curators, with whom to communicate, visitors, among whom there may well be future clients. Therefore, we must engage and recruitment to the girl at the reception by could not only lift the handset, but if necessary, to hold itself to the visitor's gallery, show and tell, tell a potential client of just spectators. "Winery" - this is a public place, that is not packed sold pictures directly in the hall. And all this is bearing fruit: now there are four clients, which we do not know, and bought paintings. Our dream finally realized, but that's why now requires a new approach to work.
http://www.timeout.ru/journal/feature/1564/