In the face of market uncertainty to avoid the temptation to make responsible decisions is great as ever. Cancel, as Salon of Fine Arts in Manezh or «inhibited» to better times - who will now blame for such moves? All clear. At no trial no. Honor, however, is also not, but where the risk in challenging conditions to ensure that the event - this certainly will not forget. It happened that - and want to say «I also warned» stood guard in place. So the mere fact of the XXVI Russian Antiquarian Salon - an act that deserves respect. The courage shown and the organizers and participants of the Salon. For the latter, risk rubles - is courage revealing even more.

Quality - Museum

spring of 2009 at the Salon came less than one third of participants over the previous year. It was spacious, that went to a salon. Nerobkie gallery parties have met the new conditions of high quality exhibits and a willingness to implement education projects during the commercial break. Topical exposure of museum grade have shown, in particular, «Elysium» ( «Graphic Artists Easel Company»), «Galeyev Gallery» ( «Russian and Munich»), «Vellum» (work Anatoly Kaplan ) and other galleries.

Central Zone the second floor, where traditions are focused on the stands of leading galleries, has become much more convenient for visitors. Syllabus exhibitors turned it into a small museum (at least for expertise). A good move «Galeyev Galleries» - the inclusion in the exhibit collection of paintings and graphics «Russians myunhentsev» Alexei Alexei Yavlenskogo and Vasily Vasily Kandinsky . Let this not be sold, but the pass is not allowed. Almost all members of the press drew attention to the curious letter to Kandinsky, addressed to his friend, one of the «blue horsemen» Бехтееву . 1924, Munich, and the complaints it is today: all sold poorly, the crisis and all that. Photos of the exhibit (letter to Kandinsky, incidentally, sold for 20 thousand from. F.) it is possible to look at On the bench gallery «Elysium» was presented without any discount museum program - schedule OSTovtsev, part of a thematic exhibition, organized jointly with the State Tretyakov Gallery and other major museums in the country. Adjacent to Pimenova , Labasa and others - watercolor avant-gardist Alexander Volkov, who sold, and not without success. Price guide for a small drawing «mountains» of 1915 was 35 thousand dollars. In the same money was appreciated and effective «Italian dancer» the late 1930's - picture «Amazon vanguard» Natalia Natalia Goncharova .

impressive avant-garde graphics George Pozhedaeva - on the bench gallery «Eritazh» . His big picture «Demons» (guide price 65 thousand dollars) - this work, a plot that requires even a modern viewer some training and progressive perspective on art. Or pozhedaevskoe «Prayer» (benchmark 55 thousand dollars) - the crucifixion scene - how many times proydesh, so much and stop.

Among the works that have led to increased interest - medium canvas «Dry birch» 1929 brush Alexander Alexander Drevin . Gallery SCHATZ'I exhibited this remarkable work with a guide price of € 200 thousand. Finally, among the informal top-lots of versions of the forum participants were ARTinvestment.RU picture Olga Olga Della-Vos-Kardovsky «Family Breakfast» (exponentials did not want to part with it, for which the price of the sale of junk known as 300 thousand dollars)

in the behavior of visitors to the salon interviewed ARTinvestment.RU gallery parties unanimously found a systemic change. According to their observations, fewer idle spectators, more people are interested in practical «price issue». Encouraging thing for the market, as can be a symptom of increasing the investment demand: the crisis of trust assets to be reliable is not so much - gold, precious stones, so the art. However, in contrast to the observations of the findings of the current situation make different gallery. But they better tell themselves - range of professional opinions on the outcome of Antiquarian Salon and projections to the end of the year is presented in a series mikrointervyu prepared ARTinvestment.RU.

Opinions gallery

When ARTinvestment.RU met with exhibitors, have traditionally been ahead of the striker weekend. But a on The majority of the XXVI Antiquarian Salon was already behind, so to sum the intermediate results of the participants have enough information, and experiences. Questions for our interlocutors suggested life itself:

• What is your current salon: higher expectations or below expectations?

• What's your prediction for 2009: how events will develop in the Russian antique market?

Marina Molchanova. Gallery «Elysium»

We note the great interest in the work. This time more than the price asked. If earlier it was more people who just went and looked, it was now interested in is price. We have been selling, and general shop was above expectations.

Salon previous and the current comparison is not correct. In the past, the cabin we had things-class, and cost them dearly. At the same cabin we have presented a good thing, too, but simpler, and therefore are cheaper. But clearly answer the question: Does the demand has shifted toward more affordable items, I can not - for this is not enough information.

Outlook - all this year will be sold. They will not be much, but still will be - people are interested.

Elena Sudakovs. «Gallery G.O.S.T.»

Salon is not over, in front - a weekend, but still have a feeling that interest below. At the salon we have been successful in selling books, and sales of works yet.

It seems to us that in the future will be lowering prices. The problem is that in this difficult time buyers set to buy only at a low price, and sellers in such circumstances to part with things not ready. So there is a contradiction: the buyers appealed to the crisis, and the sellers do not accept this position. Buyers quickly rebuilt, and the sellers still living in the past.

How to explain the successes of Russian foreign trades? I think that Christie's and Sotheby's to a great extent become a secular event. We are still inside this success does not feel. Although, it is interesting that now, after a period of deficits began to appear in the sale of a good thing. However, on pre-crisis prices.

Mikhail Suslov. «Petersburg Antiquarian»

We salon goes above expectations. There is a sale. You do not see the red dots, because the purchased items are immediately removed. Purchasing activity is not higher than in the past the cabin, but it is. People go to the specific, asking about specific things. Buyers are well apprised of the crisis and want to use it, save money and make a profitable investment. Prices, according to my observations, declined. In different ways: one is not decreased, but someone at twenty per cent. This is a normal reaction. If antique willing to engage in dialogue, people are feeling and make decisions about purchases.

forecast for this year - stagniruyuschaya situation without bursts, but without falling. We have experienced something similar in 1998. Since 1998, within a year or year and a half antiques market stagnant. He did not fail, but the measurements, and then went to recovery. But what I most feared was not the case: there is interest. If you meet the demand, it will purchase.

Ana Marichevich. Maricevic Fine Art & Antiques

Salon for us goes above expectations. But it is also because the expectations of themselves were not high. We already have a sale. Do not buy the most expensive work, but on average the budget segment (twenty - thirty thousand dollars), the sale is. Knowing the mood of our regular customers, we will advance, even before Salon deliberately lowered the price. At that level, which was in September, we today can not keep them. We need to adapt - to the situation requires.

forecast before the end of the year - it ungrateful. But for myself, I hope that in the 2009-meters crisis will end, and from 2010 on will be a recovery, with implications for prices.

Tatiana Kolovanova. «Alexander»

According to my estimates, Salon is held sufficiently low. Associated with the fact that a customer who is able to make purchases, is in a state of waiting. So far we have sold small items for gifts. Falling prices, we conducted only on selected items. For example, the mass porcelain. But some work and the names of the decline in the prices is impossible, because the world market are increasing in price. We can say that the interest is active, but large sales we have not yet been.

Love Agafonova. «Vellum»

At the salon, we present a thematic exhibition of the artist Anatoly Kaplan. The task was more educational than commercial. And in this sense, our expectations have been met: about to learn about Kaplane written press. On the one hand, the exposition - the continuation of the exhibition in the Russian Museum. But now we are showing that you can buy. Our objective was to put Kaplan in a cultural revolution. Still, it's quite a rare artist in the market, although it is well represented in museums and private collections. Interim results: there are a few estimates, but sales have not yet been. But people ask prices, interest Kaplanom.

plans for the remainder of the year - to work. We are engaged in artistic projects, and if lucky, you sell. So far everything is going as is - I would not say that is worse than last year. The gallery I have no stagnation. Regarding the talk about lowering the price, I think that the first names of reduction will not be.

Ildar Galeev. «Galeyev Gallery»

For me, the ideology in the modern world becomes more important than the commercial component. Now that the sale is unlikely to succeed. But in the rarefied atmosphere of space, where a significant portion of past participants went to the salon, more chances to prove themselves in the research field. Our project «Russian and Munich» aspires to the level of the museum, he became known in museum circles, its appreciated, and for me it is important. Sales has not and is not expected. The higher activity of the buyers, their willingness to ask prices, possibly caused by a «marketing research» - people are interested to submit prices works in their collections. Often the interest becomes curious forms. Call price of two hundred thousand, and in the answer - give the hundred. And this number? Talk: forty - then give twenty. Letter from Kandinsky worth twenty thousand - no, make ten. Many people interested in the game - hence the attempt to test the possibility of lowering the price doubled, tripled. In such circumstances it is impossible to count on significant results.

forecast for the remainder of the year: the catastrophe will not, and fall back on the market activity. The beginning of recovery in October and November, in my opinion, is quite real. Instruments for investment, it turns out not so much. So the art market will rise before the others. In the meantime, people are able to stand-by. All trying to guess where the bottom is reached. And as soon as it will feel to start a «zhor».

Christine Krasnyanskaya. «Eritazh»

Many people that I know that they are buying, pritsenivayutsya, but say that we should wait until the autumn. By lowering the price I am philosophically. When people say «make discount», my answer - make a proposal. How much would you not dropped, people will still wait for more. Especially at the Salon, as some have the illusion that the Salon gallery intentionally raise prices to earn more.

I like this salon. Members fewer, but many of the high level of design exposure and attributed the price. We have kept prices. Our Gallery hosts exhibition Andrew Lanskoe , and I noticed that compared with the prices that the salon, we have in the gallery per cent at twenty below. Actually, we have prices for Lanskoe now, I can say the same as in Europe.

A projection is as follows: to the end of the year, the people rest, understand that the crisis will have to live for some time and should try to diversify their assets, looking at art as an investment object. This is already happening. Noticed that people who have never seriously interested in the arts and to make a purchase. The total investment attitude and confirm Russian auction Christie's and Sotheby's. Positive events that now appears an interesting proposal, which can be purchased though not cheaply, but it is adequate for the amount. Even this summer, high-class work can not be found for any money, but now it has become possible.

material prepared by Vladimir Bogdanov

P.S. Information about XXVI antique Russian Salon (links):

Discussion and Photo with XXVI Russian Antiquarian Salon
Top galleries XXVI Russian Antiquarian Salon
Top-list of works of art at the XXVI Russian antique Salon Expert version
Top-list of works XXVI Russian Antiquarian Salon version parties
list of participants XXVI Russian Antiquarian Salon

Sources: artinvestment.ru