The owner of an art gallery "Our artists Natalia Kournikova - about art and not only

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"I want the art of living among the people"
The owner of an art gallery "Our artists Natalia Kournikova - about art and not only

Attachment 66505

Gallery Our artists founded in 1995 and primarily specializes in works of Russian artists-emigrants of the first half of XX century, mostly - who live in France. Andrew Lanskoy, Sergei Sarsuns, Sergey Polyakov, Marevna - Natalia Kournikova opened to us the names are well known in the West and almost no friends in Russia.

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Merit Kournikova admitted even conservative museum community: collaborating with the gallery Russian Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery. Today, "Our artists' are on the nineteenth-kilometer Rublevo-Uspensky highway. The building, built by architect Eugene Assa, appear to have a gallery, and a small private museum.

In 1990's first-class works themselves were literally in the hands

Your first job, as far as I know, not related to the art ...

Natalia Kournikova: I graduated from MGIMO, Faculty of International Economics ...

And how do you switch to the "art"?

NC: Beginning to register your own house. The first painting - "View Kuskovo artist Petrovicheva - my husband gave. After that, everything started to happen very quickly, came excitement.

Familiar, whose father was a collector, has led me to the art salon in the Smolensk Embankment, where I was in the year durili heartily. Fortunately, the gathering was carried away, my friend and neighbor, Allah, now - the wife of Tver Governor Dmitry Zelenin. However, we have to go to St. Petersburg, abroad, go to museums, palaces and antique shops. In the 1990's social dislocations thrown into the Russian market many first-class products, the things themselves were in hand. Someone went into exile - had to sell the collection, old collectors experienced financial difficulties, besides Muscovites have long tormented the housing problem. Antique dealers could, without straining, to earn good money at the mediation.

We quickly realized that it is necessary to open the gallery. Our first gallery on the Grand Dmitrovka in an old building on the second floor was in the style of the era: western and point lighting, where people fall through the dilapidated entrance to divorce from the fungus.

There we lived for four years. Then he got the room in Sivtsev Vrazhek. At this moment we have parted with Alla. My own needs vigorous growth, with Alla prevailed family priorities, and later state governor's wife has opened her new horizons. In 2003, the first time I organized a major exhibition - Nicholas Tarkhova in the Tretyakov Gallery and in 2004 - the artist Marievna (pseudonym of Mary Vorobieva-Stebelski - Comm. Ed.). In the same year with the support of her husband, Andrew Filkova, opened the current gallery in the village of Borki on Rublyovo-Uspensky highway, next to our house.

How much time is spent on the preparation of the exhibition?

NK: It can be quite the four or five months, but often the concept matures two years. All this time I literally hunt for the works. I try to do it without publicity, or colleagues will not buy cheap. Purchased things I complement the work of museums and private collections, a few months spent on the directory. Finally opening day.

We have yet to break the stereotype that Russian artists, who went into exile, degraded. For example, Pavel Tchelitchew - fantastic figure, deep, complicated artist, but Russia has completely misunderstood, despite his large canvas "The Phenomenon", which is the Tretyakov Gallery in the late 1990's finally hanging in their rooms. When we showed major retrospective Chelishchev, even the experts were very impressed. Or Mstislav Dobuzhinsky: his style has changed over time, but later things are no weaker than earlier, made in Russia.

What is the budget for your show?

NK: In each case different. For example, the work of Mstislav Dobuzhinsky I bought at an auction in Paris for his collection, and then based on them has made a big exhibition. Immediately on the organization of the exhibition is impossible to save - well not work.

That is, the artist is to get to your gallery, as its price increases in the times?

NK: The interest to the artist clearly increasing, but it would be an exaggeration to assume gallery "Our artists' main player of prices. Be sure to join other collectors, the work must go to many meetings. And only naturally formed in demand. One, though good, the exhibition does not solve everything. According to my observations, required three years to the new name became recognizable, people are accustomed to the artist and began his interest.

What is there to your advantage?

NC: predict a future star before the others, buy the best work. The works of Paul Lansky and Andrew Chelishchev, for example, is no longer possible to buy cheaply, but I managed to do it on time. Now prices have jumped in two or three. Sometimes the pictures have to sell before the exhibition, but as a rule, I can retrieve them later for a time among collectors.

And whether you have a failure?

NK: I think undervalued Petersburg artist Vyacheslav Mikhailov. He writes wonderful abstraction, accurate color, balanced by volume. I made him two exhibitions - one at home, another in Aptekarskii the Order of the Museum of Architecture. But the modern art of their technology, apparently, I underexpenditure. Maybe not, as always, just wait.

Was it difficult to collaborate with the State Museum?

NC: First, a gallery owner and new collectors are treated with suspicion. When we suggested to the good works of the exhibition, museum workers suspected in our greed, the desire to advertise the paintings in the museum's catalog. And I just feel sorry that the artists that I have been doing so poorly represented in national museums.

Many museums do not. In addition to those who will take care of their heritage and part of the paintings bequeathed to domestic museums. So shrewdly did Sarsuns Sergei and Pavel Tchelitchew, which, incidentally, hated the Soviets.

Another aspect of the issue - the inclusion of museum work in our projects. Now, thanks to the acquired image to obtain pictures of the museums has become easier, but it is always troublesome, long time and often costs money.

How do you find artists?

NK: Sometimes it is the fruit of your own research and biases arising from walking on fairs, auctions, books and albums, sometimes heirs brought the material with which you want to work.

Natalia, what you give advice - that of the art today should buy?

NK: It depends on the purpose. If you just collect the collection, explore at your leisure, to educate ourselves, to delve into the subject. Over time, individual collectors are genuine experts.

Another thing, if you are buying art with a view to resale. In our growing market speculation in the art of acquired traits of psychosis. Here, the investor must find a competent and honest scholar, and such a combination - are rare. Fakes a lot. Dealers often do not sell products, and expert papers. And the experts are just people ...

The conversion of Russian art in portfolio investment, both in the West, yet it is hardly possible, the risks are too great. But the number of individual players in this market is growing. How not to play, when some names are added annually to 100%.

If resources permit, you should easily be austere to invest in first names.

Obviously, it is high time to abandon revalued "the Russian middle peasants, artists of the second and third series, especially the XIX century. Better to buy in the segment, where there is no overheating, but enough real quality work: Russian emigrants of the first half of the twentieth century, the Sixties, St. Petersburg school 1920-30-ies. But this should be done intelligently.

When my light hand was thrown cry: "Buy emigration", many people began to place all indiscriminately. But one must distinguish the wheat from the chaff, in exile was quite mediocre, and good artists are not always smooth. The market is full of buyers amateurs and crooks-sellers, who, paradoxically, can be simultaneously and by amateurs.

So maybe they are each other's faces? It's great when art is thus protects itself against speculators.

NK: But imagine that in this area comes to steel magnate and oilman. He thinks that everything would be if not honestly, at least according to protocol, waits for the minimum guarantees. But nothing like this: can fool everyone. Art business - a very specific area.

That is, until I spent the last ten years reading books and walking to museums here and close approach is not necessary. You, by the way, do not plan to in the future to make a gallery in the museum?

NK: She already works almost like a museum, only we have free admission. In our exhibitions important - not a commercial component, but their high, comparable to the museum level. In the future, could be kept in mind the legal establishment of a fund or a private museum.

A transfer his collection to the National Museum does not plan?

NC: Not long ago, during Soviet times, our government willingly took possession of private collections. And where, say, left all these lovingly assembled collection of human life? With rare exception - to the store. I want the art of living among the people, every day brought a taste of my children and grandchildren. And the museums we are happy to give work to temporary exhibitions.

Ludmila Lunin

Art, art, and what a beautiful girl, Natalie ... That's a real art. (EA)