Odessa nonconformists

[uriart]

FORBES № 7 , July 2013
Infection gathering : on the contemporary art market , too, can earn
Experience Odessa collector and gallery owner Anatoly Dymchuk

 Overcast day in June . In Odessa NT-Art gallery all topsy-turvy . Halls made ​​hundreds of paintings , but the movers and then will wear the new party. "Where is Jack ? Painting under the wall for two hours ago I had to photograph - loudly gives orders 47 -year-old gallery owner Anatoly Dymchuk . - The exhibition will be not 450, but 500 works - rewrite the press release . " Dymchuk prepares the most ambitious in the history of Ukraine Odessa Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Kiev. "This project is a good six months to deal with, and I offered to do it for four weeks prior to the opening " - lamenting the gallery owner .

Why , having decided to hold an exhibition of the Odessa school leadership " Art Arsenal " applied specifically to Dymchuk ? He owns the world's largest collection of Odessa nonconformists , comprising more than 700 works . He is trusted by artists and fellow collectors , so the gallery owner was able to show an exhibition of paintings from foreign collections. But that's not it : no one else just would not agree to spend the time and money for the project , but still in the mode of Avraham. " Dymchuk for Odessa culture is ready to cut the throat ", - said the director of the Museum of Modern Art in Odessa Simon Kantor.

Dymchuk picked up the infection gathering in 2002. "I came to the artist Eugene RAKHMANIN to buy a new apartment . I saw the work " Gunn in Rome " and was dumbfounded , "- he said. The artist never sold the painting or two others who liked businessman. It was found that among the dozens of paintings he chose the best of the writing Rachmanin a lifetime. "There's talent as an artist , and the viewer has the talent . In Anatolia very precise eye , it feels good work. It is very rare , "- says the Odessa art historian Michael Rashkovetskiy .
At first glance it does not seem Dymchuk refined esthete . "I was at a show, when he saw a car coming out of an expensive kind of gangster man in a tracksuit and sent to the gallery - Rashkovetskiy describes his first meeting with the gallery owner . - Honestly , I'm wary. But we met, talked. The first impression was misleading . " Dymchuk unmistakable flair for quality painting is celebrated by all with whom Forbes spoke during the preparation of this article.
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Where did the native of Rivne and builder of the education such a gift ? Dymchuk and he really can not explain . "Probably because of parents who have a child dragged to museums : the Hermitage , the Tretyakov Gallery , the Pushkin Museum - reflects collector. - I also collected stamps with images of paintings . "

Dymchuk was 33 when familiarity with Rachmanin gave his life a new meaning. Odessa was considered one of the few Soviet cities, where the flourishing informal art . "Here there was a galaxy of very talented writers that have had a huge influence on contemporary art in the former Soviet Union ", - says the chief curator of the " Art Arsenal " Alexander Soloviev. Dymchuk began studying creative non-conformists and buy their work.

Businessman became interested in art at a very good time . For several years after the crisis of 1998, even the most eminent nonconformist sell their work for $ 100-200 . Dymchuk worked at the time the commercial director of the company Sisamtrans, engaged in container shipping . "I had a salary of $ 1,000 plus any bonuses , so that I could afford some good work in the last month ," - he said. For example, in the early 2000s, he bought two paintings by Khrushchev `s for $ 450, and in 2004 sold it for $ 13,000 . Today for one job Khrushch this level could receive $ 15,000 .
Favorite author novice collector was Yuri Yegorov. One of the leading contemporary artists of Ukraine Alexander Yegorov Roitburd calls "the god of Odessa painting ." Dymchuk managed to acquire more than 100 works of " Odessa God." Attachment has been very successful. If at the beginning of the last decade "qualitative" Yegorov was worth about $ 2,000, but now the price is much higher . Gallery owner himself says that the collection of works Egorova - is the "heart of his collection ," which is not for sale . " Dymchuk so fond of this artist, that he had promised the widow ( Egorov died in 2008 . - Forbes) at any time purchase any of his work , paying a price above the market - says art historian Vera Savchenko . - For him, it is important that the work remained in Odessa , Ukraine . "

About eight years Dymchuk collected only non-conformists , but then became interested in domestic sontemporary Àrt . " Collectors mostly conservative people , few of them are able to get out of the rut , - the Rashkovetskiy . - Anatoly really learned to understand modern art . "

In a short time Dymchuk made ​​friends and made ​​friends with all the starry Ukrainian authors. " Not to buy cheaper - he says. - I am interested to talk to them . " According Dymchuk , the first work he always gets at market prices. In the future, you can expect a discount of 30%- but it is provided that the collector becomes a regular customer . Strong friendship with the author gives a discount of 50 %.
Creators friends with Dymchuk also beneficial . " Shreds makes the artist more than he expected , - the Odessa painter Igor Gusev. - If you have any problems, he was the first to come and help the mentally and physically , and financially . " Three artists in gratitude written portraits Dymchuk . For example, a collector Roitburd depicted with three legs . Why three ? " In real life, is it not so ? " - Jokes in response to the artist .

The collection of about 3,000 works Dymchuk . " It is the largest private collection in Odessa. We at the museum around 1400 paintings - said Kantor. - But the main thing is not the number . In most of the works of Anatoly very good quality . "

How much does his collection , Dymchuk not know. "Somewhere written , how many bought a piece of work , and how many today can cost the congregation , I thought ," - he laughs. For him to do this job nobody wants : a motley collection too . Prices for Odessa avant-garde range from $ 1,000 to $ 40,000 . In addition to the non-conformists in the collection Dymchuk a lot of famous and expensive names like Roitburd , Oleg Tistol , Arsene Savadov whose works sell for tens of thousands of dollars , but there is no one famous Odessa painters .

"I do not Pinchuk, I Dymchuk - meets the collector to the question about the source of funding their hobby . - I am not a poor man , but not very rich . " According Dymchuk , it works , and CEO of BSA Ukraine PIL Ukraine, which act as agents of container lines . On the painting he spends the lion's share of income. "There is no boat , no house, even the kids still have not bought the apartment ," - he said.
" The percentage of Anatoly spending on the arts is much more than Pinchuk ," - said Rashkovetskiy . Collector admits salary top manager for such a collection it would not be enough. In addition, in the middle of the zero at Dymchuk appeared obsession - to show the world how strong Odessa school . "Work to live , they need to exhibit , - he said. - My collection has great cultural value and people should see it . " Gallery owner had to learn a profession and learn the art of making a .

In 2007 Dymchuk opened in Odessa gallery NT-Art. In the six years it has been more than 60 exhibitions. Educational activities get along well with the commercial : since the founding galleries Dymchuk sold 300 works . "This is an excellent result . For all of Odessa fantastic - emphasizes Kiev gallery owner Oleg Bayshev . - Of course , the important question of who to sell and at what price . " According Dymchuk , much of the economy fell to Odessa artists . But there were also a big deal : with gallery owner bought more than three dozen works of authors such expensive as Gusev, Roitburd Khrushchev .

Dymchuk - the only gallery owner in Ukraine, which is working with authors on exclusive contracts. Now he has " on contract " four artists , however, he was ready to name just two : Gusev and creative tandem Verezhko /Vondero . " Shreds decent relations with the artists , - the Gusev, has concluded a contract with the gallery owner three years ago. - You will not find any author who says that Dymchuk " blurry " or underpaid work . "

Gusev is satisfied with the Dymchuk . " Under the contract, I do not have to work with other galleries , - says the artist . - And I did not want : Dymchuk pays me a scholarship , and buying all the work . " After the conclusion of the contract the average cost of the work Gusev has doubled . In the summer of 2012, the painting was sold to him by Phillips de Pury auction for $ 19,375 . This has the merit of the gallery owner , who for three years has helped Gusev spend five major exhibitions .
" The first four years of Odessa gallery worked with profit were large customers who have requested to make a collection for $ 200 000-300 000 - recalls Dymchuk . - The last half of the year the situation is critical : sales fell at times , a gallery in the red . "

Ukrainian for gallery owners and indeed it was the black band . According to the owner of the Bottega Gallery Marina Shcherbenko , the content gallery, leading an active exhibition activities , costing at least $ 150,000 a year. If exports gallery artists at international exhibitions , fairs and festivals , the amount is increased by at least half. Given that the fee does not exceed 50%of the works sold only to cover the fixed costs gallery must sell for at least $ 300,000 a year. Today, it is very few people can .

After a brief recovery in the middle of the zero Ukrainian contemporary art market went into a coma , gallery owners complain . " Before the crisis, there was a feeling that even though sales and small, but the market is about to be formed , and then we'll live - says gallery owner " shop " Alexander Scheluschenko . - Currently no sales , no hope . " "Until 2009, I sold a lot , about 60 %of the works of contemporary artists acquired by foreigners - says co-owner of the gallery" Triptych Art " Tatyana Savchenko . - Then they were both blown away , and local customers are buying very little. " Over the past few years in Kiev effort back several well-known galleries : Ludmila Bereznitska & Partners Gallery, « Collection ", " Gallery on Instytutska ." Significantly reduced the activity of an exhibition , " M17 ", " Soviart ", " Gallery of Ra" and "shop" .

Depression in the capital market did not deter Dymchuk that spring 2013th opened in Kiev Dymchuk Gallery. What does he expect ? " For a while, I lose money - meets gallery owner . - For me, this is not business as a springboard to the big ambitious projects . " His new goal - to popularize Ukrainian art is not only at home , but also, so to speak, on a global scale. "Among the top 100 of the world's best authors must be at least 10 Ukrainian name - says Dymchuk . - We are in the world no one knows , and I - will tell . "

After exposure of Kiev Odessa school , according to the Dymchuk , will visit Kharkiv, Donetsk , Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv. In the fall of 2013 the gallery owner plans to show the work of Igor Gusev , Vasily Tsygalov , Ilya Chichkan and creative duo Verezhko /Vondero at the art fair in Vienna. " Dymchuk like a tank - proves Rashkovetskiy . - Let and shortcomings , and not very fast, but he confidently moves forward contemporary art . "

Is compatible salary top manager with ambitious plans ? Kiev gallery Dymchuk started well. Following exhibitions Les Poderevyanskogo and Tistol Dymchuk sold five works. "I did not hope to sell , but in the end it took three works ," - notes Tistol . At Phillips de Pury auction in May of this year work Tistol " coloring " was sold for $ 53,700 . "The sale of one painting a top artist's gallery covers the cost of a few months," - says Bayshev .

If the gallery activities will cease to pay off, Dymchuk ready to finance projects , selling paintings from his collection. In Odessa garde , according Dymchuk , there is still potential for growth. Maximum, which is paid in Ukraine for Egorova - $ 40,000 , while the work of the St. Petersburg nonconformist cost more than $ 100,000 .

" Hun in Rome " Dymchuk still bought it. The entreaties took about 10 years, but in the end could not withstand Rahmanin $ 10,000 .


2.portret Anatolia Dymchuk
Alexander Roitburd
3 . "Portrait of Alexander Anufrieva artists , Vladimir Strelnikova , Victor Marinyuk ", 1975
Valery Basanets
4 . ' Boat on the estuary ", 1986
Yuri Egorov
5 . " Gunn in Rome ", 1997
Eugene Rahmanin
6.portret Anatolia Dymchuk
Emmanuel Kaminsky