Art Fair TEFAF Maastricht think the main gallery show of the European market. Workplace event, which annually attracts the best galleries, and makes some important observations on the market in general-being and emerging trends

TEFAF Maastricht art fair with good reason consider the main gallery show of the European market. Workplace activity, which in the Netherlands annually attracts the best galleries, and makes some important observations about-being of the market in general and emerging trends. His impressions of the took place in March, the European Fair ARTinvestment.RU asked to share Molchanova Marín, head of the gallery «Elysium». And how often, how much say on foreign affairs, and Russian realities about yourself will not forget.

ARTinvestment.RU : What is so good TEFAF? And as long you follow this fair?

Molchanova Marina : At TEFAF I ezzhu sixth year. Fair dates back to 1975, has transformed itself, but for more than twenty years, takes place in the same place - in a city exhibition and congress center (MECC). Local Dutch galleries there is not enough. TEFAF - mostly international event, an annual gathering of all the major dealers of the world.

AI : How can I describe the scale and level of activities?

M. : The number of participants, working with visual arts, of sensations, some hundreds. Plus, even a fairly large amount of jewelry galleries (this section is very large). By area TEFAF - this is probably four of our antique car. The section on the old masters, to approximately the size of our second floor to the antique salon. There is modern art, there are decorations, applied arts. At this time, even made a section of designer furniture. According to statistics, visit the fair, about 70 thousand people.

On the level: of course, TEFAF is apparently the most expensive, luxurious interior antiques from all European fairs that I have ever seen. Not in Basel, and anywhere that is not, as in Maastricht.

AI : What is this luxury?

M. : At TEFAF always amazing overall design. Thought everything in detail: it looks like the entrance to shop (at this time, he was decorated with thousands of roses, but in the past year, rising living trees), as to leave large passages between the stands. In the center of the room are exquisite oranzhereynye flowers, every year different. Entries for each booth at all the same, that is decorated in the same style. But even they are not simple, as can be seen at the salons of Russian (three walls and the passage), and with design. The colors, banquettes, carpets, that upper room furnished floor - all this creates the effect of luxury. In this sense, the closest to TEFAF our Salon of Fine Arts in Moscow (The Moscow World Fine Art Fair). «Cooking» last known to me from the inside - Gallery «Elysium» MWFAF participated in the Manezh. It uses the same conceptual idea - outside all galleries about the same, but inside his.

Interestingly, the seemingly complex, where the TEFAF, - it is a fairly modern building unpresentable, exhibition complex that looks like more like a hangar. But the interior decoration is adapted to the submission of antiques. In the old arts are especially ÛÉËÁÒÎÏ: walls and floors are covered with velvet. In such surroundings, it is understandable and works of art are somewhat different.

AI : At TEFAF Russians do not have galleries? What prevents them from participating in the leading European trade fair of art?

M. : Russian galleries among exhibitors and really did not have none. Historically, it turned out that in order to become a exhibitor, you need to get a recommendation of no less than four gallery - participants of the fair. Something like a closed club, so that some galleries are in the queue for ten years. That was until recently - from year to year, the backbone of the participants did not change. But this year several galleries had refused to participate, which allowed a few new galleries to become exhibitors TEFAF. Russians among them, again not proven, but the reasons for this are unlikely to have an organizational nature.

AI : Maybe it is in expensive? How much does it cost to participate in the overseas show?

M. : The export abroad - it is always expensive: transportation, liability insurance «from nail to nail». And the rental space in Maastricht, strangely enough, is lower than in the Moscow Manege Exhibition at the Fine Arts. If the Manezh rental booth costs about 600 euro per square meter, the TEFAF, I was told, 300-400 euros per meter. The cost is quite reasonable, but not in this case. Question - is there going Russian galleries? Because the goal of participants pragmatic: there go to sell, not people see themselves and the show. If, however, say that the demand of Russian art in the West, is almost the only thing they need - is avant-garde. , Udaltsova , Ekster , Rozanova , Lisitsky - now they work in the West buy with pleasure. But, they know where to get? In fact, historically, at TEFAF come the people who collect old masters and modernists. If you want to sell something else, that is more suitable for profile fairs. For example, if you are buying contemporary art, then go to Basel.

AI : Describe the background to the price «Russian abroad». How many have requested this year for the famous Russian names?

M. : Items Russian art was not much. From the famous Russian artists abroad was Polyakov , , Chagal , Soutine , a lot of Yavlenskogo . The prices were very high. You can guess why. For example, Polyakov was very good, even if it wanted, and absolutely mad money (about 700-800 thousand euros). The owner explained that this is a masterpiece, a rare thing. Average Polyakov large cost about 450 thousand euros. For other artists, too, by feelings, prices were higher than at the auctions. Lanskoe - 160 thousand euro. «Mythical head» Yavlenskogo - 1,2 million euro. List of Chagall - about one million. So the price of a solid.

AI : If prices in Maastricht above auction prices in London, what is the meaning of it go?

M. M. : You can buy there, and we bought. First, the high - the price it offers, and end may be lower. Secondly, in recent years in small galleries, you can find a suitable and cheaper. The same Yavlenskogo. You need to go, bargain. And just look interesting. TEFAF - it's cut antique market. A more representative trade event than in Maastricht, is no. There are many customers come - come specifically to find and buy. Buying at auctions is not all ready, but there is an opportunity to walk with comfort and to bargain in the best galleries in the world. Then, can be found at TEFAF things that just do not go to auction. We saw there, and Rubens, and Van Gogh. These masterpieces can be found at auctions every year. In Maastricht, they can be.

AI : Can I say that in 2009 prices adjusted TEFAF down?

M. M. : According to our observations, the prices are not increased, but neither fell. According to the old masters prices have not changed (we have something to ask), the Russian abroad, too, in general, nothing changed. Actually, the old masters feel fine. Perhaps the greatest number of sales was just there (ie the number of sales is an indicator of health). But other segments are not bad. Before our eyes, sold dear Maurice Vlaminka. French Impressionists, too, have no concern. Interestingly, at this salon was not good expressionists (medium works were, but they do not weather). It was not, as in former times, nor a good brand or Kirchner. It is likely that the outstanding work followed. Incidentally, this year, there is general agreement that at TEFAF was very little masterpieces. Previously, it used to, to come - and the museum in front of you, class of exposure to a variety of ways. Masterpieces Modigliani, Soutine - please. And this time, no. Sellers are not brought. Cheap sell masterpieces will not want to, but expensive to buy now do not want to. Do not bring pokrasovatsya and sell.

AI : And what feels like a modern art at TEFAF?

M. : Six years ago at the fair in Maastricht, there was no modern art in general. Now, too little, but found. Past TEFAF remember one curiosities. The owner of the gallery of jeweler Graff 30 carat diamond sold for $ 5 million and then bought Baskov for 4.5 million dollars. And then told all through the press, as it turned out cheaper as well and will complement its collection of Basque, which already has several of the American Graffiti-expressionist over 8 million dollars. I see this primarily on promotion campaign designed by modern artists. Those who have bought something over 8 million does not want to sell it for 800 thousand. And dealers that monitor these markets, will buy at the auctions for the desired price, to control the situation. And what will be in twenty years - a big issue.

AI : is felt that the Fair has a lot of positive emotions. Concluding the topic TEFAF, ask whether there is a fair though some notable shortcoming?

M. : Well, the only drawback - it is nasty food. Inside the queue, and on the street, too many restaurants do not, did the exhibition and conference center is located on the outskirts of the town.

AI : thoughts go back to Russia. What undervalued segments is to pay special attention? Five years ago «shot» Sixties, and today what council can give collectors and investment buyers?

M. : We are actively buying company Easel (OST), mostly oil. The huge interest in the work of such authors as , Deineka , Luchishkin that time. Yes, little work, they are rare, but the demand in this area is very high. If you find RWOs - buy will be expensive. While the need to recognize that this direction, unfortunately, is not as massive in terms of the proposal, as once was the sixties.

AI : All the same, if the attempt to identify the direction of the mass, available to a wide range of buyers, then it could be?

M. : prospective investment-attractive directions, comparable to a saturation of the proposal with the Sixties, I do not see today. Socialist realism, the massive Soviet art, it's not lies in the interests of our galleries, but there is visible activity, movement, sales are growing - this can not be denied. Customers enjoy a soft socialist realism, without a social call. It is cheap, accessible to the mass consumer, there is little problem with authenticity. Buy of the clear, those where there are symbols of time, memories of youth, something that has passed, which will no longer be. At first the names of socialist realism - Arkady Arkady Plastov , Sergey and Alexander Gerasimov and others - the prices have already reached high values.

AI : In «Elysium» recently with great success the exhibition of the Easel. Were in the process of preparing some unexpected discoveries or interesting points that struck you or particularly memorable?

M. : collecting exhibit left, we were faced with the fact that the works of these artists are very few in private collections. The works went to museums, often do not want, until that is destroyed. We had a rare work Pimenova 1926 and revealed an unexpected thing: he went to art collectors to buy their early work, and destroyed, because hesitate.

Of the discoveries, I would call creative Mechislava Dobrokovskogo - the artist who invented the screw , a graphic symbol remain. Previously vignettes, scripts, and directory Osta decorated bolts. People have ideas, singers industrial future. For them, such heartless tools such as screw, knife, lamp, - it is poetry. Life Dobrokovskogo sooner terminated. He was shot.

More from the opening of the exhibition: we have three self Tyshlera . Many were confident that his creativity has no self, but we have found and released all three.

But, perhaps, the main opening of the exhibition - this is the usual change of view on the GRL. Many references have imagined society Easel Deineko, Pimenova flying athletes. In the meantime, artists have been significant and much more. , Tyshler, Zusman, Lebedeva - they disappeared. They in fact were the poets of urban landscapes and their observations. They not only realized in the socialist realism, but in principle they could not think of creativity in terms of imposing a theme. It is clear that they no longer stand, they have closed their shops and work, as could. Many of these people, important for its time, had been long removed from the official history of art. Generally, when we started to compile a directory, it is expected that there will be a continuous theme of industrialization. But in the end it's just not out.

The project is quite expensive. The same museum work. We not only pay for insurance, the right to use, but also the right to publish photographs of every work in the catalog. It is expensive (for the usual purchasers acquired the right to publish about 100 dollars for each job). The resulting ultimately directory - it is an exclusive thing: Eighty percent of it published for the first time. Many work for the exhibition came from the store, and opportunities to see them live from the audience, too, was not.

AI : What is your forecast for the coming April «Russian bid»? How would you rate the quality of the proposals leading auction houses and claimed estimeyty?

M. : I think will sell well, but not better than last time. Selection of Christie's, this time it seemed to me stronger than that of Sotheby's. At the upcoming Sotheby's high estimeyty, but few significant works. At Christie's suggestion a bit better: there are many good works Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerich , would be a good Burliuk . All the visible things, in my opinion, will be sold. My general outlook is: now buy the best things for quite a lot of money, but for less than before.

Interview conducted Vladimir Bogdanov