Olga Golodets: "It's amazing, but in the cultural sphere, the sanctions have affected us the least"
ARTinvestment.RU   21 июня 2016

"I feel strengthening ties on a professional level. Continue to operate our museums, creative communities. We have a lot of exhibitions, tours and joint projects", — quotes assistant Dmitry Medvedev's information group "Interfax"

On the background of the rest of the culture still keeps a stiff upper lip — so you can understand the words Vice-премьера, supervising the social block, which also included culture, health, employment, pension provision and other problem areas.

did the sanctions in the sphere of culture? Does the rise of the dollar on the incomes of Russian households? Do the tickets for 400 rubles on Museum attendance? All this strange questions like to convince us otherwise. What is not simple.

the Sanctions had little impact in the sense that our museums are not entirely closed down, not fire staff, not moved to a shortened working week and unpaid leave? Then it's hard to disagree. Life really has not stopped. People have not stopped going to exhibitions. But to imply little impact of sanctions on the sphere of culture today, too, at least strange.

We remember how suddenly cancelled an important exhibition of foreign artists in Moscow. As was canceled scheduled for autumn 2014 retrospective of Banksy in the Arena from-за suspiciously leaning "organizational difficulties." At about the same time was cancelled exhibition of Young British artists (YBA) — in Moscow was visited by the works of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Rachel Whiteread and other stars. Remember how two years ago, Sotheby's and Christie's at the time ceased to bring to Moscow pre-auction exhibition. And remember, in 2015, for economic reasons not held a book fair "Books of Russia". And where did they come from, these economic reasons?

Joint projects, which says the Czech Prime Minister, also suffered. The exhibition of Russian art to take abroad have long had with great caution. There is a risk of arrest of the pictures at the suit of shareholders of Yukos. Why museums forbid them to export without guarantees. Though it's not the sanctions, but still links in a chain. For example, last year the Russian Museum were going to send work to the exhibition "Marc Chagall and his Russian contemporaries in Stockholm — Chagall, Goncharova, Larionov. But the project was derailed from-за the lack of guarantees of return of the paintings.

the Exact number of unborn for economic and political reasons, cultural projects, of course, is not subject to any calculations. Yes, we have internal "margin of safety", while in our Harbor are such cultural dreadnoughts, as Russian avant-garde or impressionist collection. For the sanctions they are little vulnerable. But don't underestimate the enemy.

Economic pressure, coupled with anti-Russian propaganda much hit on another sore point — on international positions of contemporary Russian art. Cover him from the gate for international representation at exhibitions, fairs, forums. Building the image of the country-агрессора" (also a form of sanctions), willingly or unwillingly, extends to the art of the country. We don't believe that art — out of politics, right? So the people who represent our art abroad (for example, Alexander Sharov, who participates in international fairs), now account particularly easy.

There would have seemed to the state to mobilize, to use "stratagem" and figure out how to reduce the negative effects of the sanctions: to stimulate the export potential of cultural businesses, to help artists to open a few contemporary art fairs in Moscow (they also have closed Obama), a radical simplification of the regime of import-вывоза.

But not here-то was.

Recent resonant case — as Russian gallery "Eritazh" decided to show the Soviet design at the world fair Design Miami/Basel in Switzerland. Heritage, by the way, the only Russian gallery, which was at that fair. And you know what happened? Instead of furniture on the stand hung pictures of items, and the exhibits are not released from Russia, as usual (and how), in the mode of temporary export. The Ministry of culture said that there is no guarantee of return, so you pay 10% of the cost and arrange for permanent removal. They say, if anything-то not sold, then it's your problem. Galeristka, of course, refused. Her-то need to keep profitability and not patriotism to teach us on TV.

Indeed, with friends like that who needs enemies. The organizers of the sanctions, once again grinning. But our privateers, who would like to put Russian art on the international arena, such a thing will look and decide it is better not to contact.

Because the interests of cultural businesses, cultural export — all this is just words.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI

Source: interfax.ru, colta.ru, tass.ru