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Issues of 2008

XXIII Russian antique fair

The XXIII Russian Antique Fair was opened at the Central House of Artists in the capital of the Russian Federation on October 20 at 4 p.m. The important event gathered together leading Russian antique dealers, private collectors, critics and connoisseurs of art. Of course, the annual art fair was widely covered in mass media.

Visitors to the Russian Antique Fair had an opportunity to see interesting and important collections loaned by major national and foreign art galleries, as well as art pieces from private collections: paintings, sculptures, furniture, tableware, jewelry decorations and many other artworks dating from medieval times and up to the mid XXth century. Traditionally, all the pieces displayed at Central House of Artists were of high artistic value and boasted reliable provenance.

Among the highlights of the Russian Antique Fair were masterpieces by celebrated Russian artists Polenov, Repin, Aivazovsky, Grabar, Kandinsky, Serebryakova, Konchalovsky, rare and unique artworks by Faberge, Ovchinnikov, Khlebnikov, etc.

THE OPENING

Before the opening ceremony, the organizers of the Fair held a traditional press╛conference. Among the participants of the conference were V. Bychkov, the director of ╚Expopark╩ Company, Marc Dodgson, a special guest of the International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers, the deputy general secretary BADA (London), A. Vilkov and V. Petrakov, representatives of the Federal Mass Media and Cultural Heritage Supervision Agency, G. Baltser, a representative of ╚Artekvar╩ Company, V. Markova, the chairperson of the expert council of the Antique Fair and N. Koren, the director of the Antique Fair.

In the beginning of the conference V. Bychkov, the head of ╚Expopark╩ Company reported that the XXIII Antique Fair gathered together 210 participants, including art galleries dealing in Soviet art, rare books, rugs and carpets, etc. Notably, over twenty galleries displayed artworks by European masters.

This year organizers of the Fair have paid much attention to reconstruction of historic interiors. One of the main events of the Fair was a subject project ╚Historic Interiors: the Gothic Romance╩, launched by the foundation Art Moscow and ╚Artekvar╩ Company. G. Baltser, the representative of ╚Artekvar╩ Company presented the guests detailed information about the project.

Marc Dodgson delivered a speech to the audience too. He very appreciated an idea of holding annual Antique Fairs for solving up-to-date problems of the art and antiquarian market. In his speech Anatoly Vilkov, official of the Federal Mass Media and Cultural Heritage Supervision Agency, mentioned that citizens should have a granted access to art treasures. However, when speaking about ╚unique works of art╩, the government has a right to take special measures in order to preserve them.

And finally, V. Petrakov, another representative of the Federal Mass Media and Cultural Heritage Supervision Agency handed a precious gift from renowned Moscow-based auction house ╚Gelos╩ to the State Museum of Oriental Art ≈ a painted print depicting peoples of the Russian North. The opening ceremony of XXIII Antique Fair was attended by common visitors, galleries-participants and many honorable guests.

PROJECTS AND DISPLAYS AT THE XXIII RUSSIAN ANTIQUE FAIR

Following the long-established tradition, the XXIII Antique Fair featured subject exhibitions dedicated to collectible art pieces. Among interesting and important displays that attracted attention of visitors and experts were ╚Classicism in the Age of Catherine the Great╩ (paintings and various items of Russia▓s ╚Golden Age╩), ╚From ⌠Mir Iskusstva■ to ⌠Four Arts■╩ (original Russian drawings of the first half of XXth century), ╚The Art of Light and Color╩ (drawings by artists of the early XXth century), ╚Fragile Gold of Russian Emperors╩ (collection of Russian classic style porcelain and art glass), ╚Black-and-White Classic╩ (drawings by celebrated Russian artists), ╚Russian Painters in Paris and French Impressionists╩ (French paintings of the late XIXth√early XXth century).

As it was mentioned above, the main event of the Antique Fair was the subject exhibition ╚Historic Interiors: the Gothic Romance╩. According to the authors of the art project, the display was aimed to render new tendencies at the contemporary antiquarian market. Thus, rare and unique pieces acted not only as collectible objects, but also as an interior of an inhabitable modern residence.

At the Fair specialists of ╚Artekvar╩ Company reconstructed authentic interior of a sitting room of a French castle. The interior included furniture, wall panels, parquet, fireplace, lamps and other details. Due to such a careful and detailed reconstruction visitors to the display could feel unique atmosphere of an old Gothic interior.

The featured interior was created in the second half of XIXth century, when Neogothic style based on the style of the European medieval times, became wide╛spread in the Western Europe and Russia. Notably, this period is very popular among antique traders, collectors and art critics nowadays.

THE SORE POINT

We should say a few words about an important seminar that was held within the frames of the XXIII Antique Fair on October 22. ╚The International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers╩ initiated a subject seminar titled ╚Regulation of Import and Export of Cultural Valuables and the Development of Russian Antiquarian Market╩.

Notably, on October 23 the State Committee for Administrative Reforms adopted a new regulations concerning import and temporary export of antiquarian pieces and cultural valuables in the Russian Federation. The new regulations was adopted after the current legislatio; they fixed the rules of export and import documenting for the Federal Mass Media and Cultural Heritage Supervision Agency.

The participants of the seminar included Marc Dodgson, the deputy general secretary of the British Art Dealers Association (BADA), David Fawkes, the head of the project ╚Institutional Reform of the State Sector╩, T.P. Petrova, the head of the State Department for Supervision of export and import of cultural valuables, N. Sypovskaya, the editor-in-chief of ╚Pinakoteka╩ magazine, L.V. Gramulina, the chief adviser of the Culture Committee of the State Duma, D.A. Krainev, associate of juristic firm ╚Alibi╩, E.A. Bocharova and V.B. Kozhevnikov, experts of Federal Customs Service, S. Harter, representative of the European Commission in the Russian Federation, the head of the project for reforming of the state sector, Russian art and antique dealers and journalists.

The participants of the seminar actively discussed current problems of the Russian legislation, especially the ones in the sphere of export and import of cultural valuables and antiquarian pieces as well as flaws in the work of the Federal Customs Service.

T.P. Petrova believed that in connection with the coming election to the State Duma in 2008 and possible changes in the legislation regulating export and import of antique pieces, the national associations of art and antique dealers could propose their ideas in that field.

Besides, S. Harter, the head of the project for reforming of the state sector reported that in the fall 2007 the official site of the European Commission in Russia would feature a reference guide ╚Art in Motion╩, which includes different laws concerning export and import of cultural valuables from 27 European countries and Russia. The reference guide would be available in Russian and in English free of charge. Art and antique dealers and experts agreed that the legislation should be seriously improved and perfected.

AWARDS FROM THE ORGANIZERS

On October 26 the participants and the organizers of the XXIII Antique Fair gathered again in order to reward the most notable exhibitions and projects. V. Bychkov, the director of ╚Expopark╩ Company told the guests that a number of new nominations were introduced. According to the expert council of the Fair and N. Koren, the director of the Fair, who was in charge of the awarding ceremony, the XXIII Russian Antique Fair could be compared to the similar art events worldwide, thus reaching the international level.

At the ceremony the organizers of the Fair awarded 21 honorable diplomas (14 diplomas last year). The winners in the nomination ╚The Best Display Design╩ (arts and crafts section) were antiquarian shop ╚Petersburg╩ and French art gallery ╚Boccarat╩ (display of wall-hangings). Art galleries ╚Na Lenivke╩ (On Lenivka Street) and ╚Galeev-gallery╩ received the same award in the paintings and drawings section.

Among the prize-winners in the nomination for high artistic value of the displayed pieces were art gallery ╚Gala╩, ╚Petersburgsky Antikvar╩ (Petersburg antique dealer), art gallery ╚Leon╩, antiquarian shop ╚Orthodox Antique╩, art galleries ╚Russian Manor╩, ╚Starye Mastera╩ (old masters) ╚Shkola╩ (school) and ╚Elysium╩ (arts and crafts and paintings and drawings sections). Laureates of the ╚Best Subject Selection╩ nomination were antique shop ╚Art Deco Emporium╩, art galleries ╚Moscow Collection╩, ╚Gallery of Arts of Elena Zenina╩ and ╚Russian Avant-garde of 1910√1930s╩.

The ╚Best Debut╩ prize was awarded to art galleries ╚Vanitas╩ and ╚G.O.S.T.╩ (the sign of a high-quality item during the Soviet age). The gallery of Kirill Danelia received the diploma for the best exhibition dedicated to Oriental art, while the honorable prize for the best display of the Old Russian paintings was awarded to art gallery ╚Vechnost╩. The specialized art project ╚Historic Interiors: the Gothic Romance╩ (╚Artekvar╩ Company) got the diploma ╚For the high artistic level of the display╩.