Russian Art&Antique Fair 2018, or a hidden trail in Eldorado
ARTinvestment.RU   19 февраля 2018

Debriefing in hot pursuit

That ended RA&AF No. 1 event, the scale of which is difficult to overestimate. It is clear that the true results we'll see later, but now, hot on the trail, and you need to make a "debriefing", to understand what it was, and to understand the impact that landmark (without irony) the event has had and will have on the future of art-бизнеса.

Why a landmark? Yes, because anything more ambitious and interesting has not happened.

— Huh? — will smile in this place some old-timers and try to argue me: — And how "of the Moscow international salons of fine arts" (The Moscow World Fine Art Fair) which was held from 2004 to 2008, and organizer of whom was a Swiss businessman Yves Bouvier (now widely known in litigation with Mr.-ном Rybolovlev)? That was where and scale, and luxury and international level. Is it possible to compare them with the current "facelifted" Antique Salon, Central house of artists escaped from?

And do not need to compare, we answer such sceptics, because THOSE stores were originally imprisoned for the importation of international brands (both galleries and artists), based on easy oil money. And THAT story ended with the era of easy money @all mdas, the page is turned and it never go back.

Confirms this unfortunate fact attempt to revive the "International salons fine arts" at Krasnaya Presnya in 2012-м, which failed completely. Although... Although some of the "fine art of 2012", perhaps, can be compared with RA&AF. For international greatness he has nothing left, and it consisted mostly of our Russian participants. And he perceived all as alternative to boring Antique Salon in CHA. And then, too, all the participants did their best with the assortment on the stands. But, alas, the organizers then were people very far from art-бизнеса, and it is clear that to cope with the invitation to "correct" a priori visitors could not — and could not. People then had a lot, that's true, but buyers among them there was none.

RA&AF's another story, and it begins with the myth that where-то is a country not frightened of oligarchs that seek to find all — from venerable art dealers to a fine art-дилеров. There was even a short time, when they (the aborigines of this country) spilled into our world and let's grab everything at exorbitant prices (the savages, that they take?). I only wish that it lasted a long time and ended in 2008-м. Since then the years have passed, but brother is a gallerist and art-дилер continue the search, especially because no-нет and slip the rumor that what-то drunk antiquary accidentally found-таки secret path there and sold there what-то stuff for insane amounts of money to local leader, completely covered with yachts, mansions, Yes. But both came back —'t remember (was drunk) and again find a way there already.

And on the wave of this myth to the organizers of Antiquarian Salon in CHA came up with the brilliant idea — to hold the next Salon in the Manezh near Kremlin. Supposedly important people on the way there no-нет and go look at the picture, and before you know it, and will buy all if you like (money-то they still nowhere to go: the sanctions the enemies imposed on all parties). Especially as a reason to experiment with a new venue was respectful. Let me remind those who forgot that the whole 2017 courts were around the building of the Central house of artists, and in what-то moment there was a feeling that all was lost, that hope to stay in the CHA collapsed and needs to find a new site.

come together the way of the stars: the myth and the need where-то to go led to a new form of art-бизнеса "art walk in the cool place." Besides the art fair — is still a global trend, a response to the atomization of society and the dominance of the Internet, so it is good. As they say, there would be no happiness, Yes the misfortune has helped. And what about the participants, gallery owners and other sympathizers? How they reacted to the idea not carry out the Antique shop and the art, which would include everything from Antiques to contemporary art? The gallery initially reacted cautiously who-то complained about the high cost of who-то a bad time, but in the end the desire of the feast overpowered. Remember, as the hero of Shukshin "Kalina Krasnaya"? "... I don't know, maybe a rest to your mind to arrange? Holiday soul need — HOLIDAY. I been waiting a long time...."

And if so, if the soul asks the holiday, and more precisely — miracle, then what is not a reason to participate? Very reason. And still the soul asks to be beautiful, solid and to have all this near mythical country not frightened of oligarchs.

And as it turned out, there is such a place — arena.

Says — is done. And the attendant difficulties in the form of a postponement of the RA&AF a week before could scare only foreigners who are not accustomed to our realities. Our well seasoned in fighting with government participants and organizers it only added to the adrenaline. The camera pans — ha, we'll break through!

On everything. RA&AF in the Arena was beautiful and comfortable. At the opening ceremony was the head of the Moscow Department of culture A. V. Kibovsky, which immediately led to a huge number of TV cameras and reports, the focus of attention of the interested public, and as a consequence, to a good attendance. Were planned and were interesting discussions on professional topics. On such positive background, nobody even remembered about the eternal problem of Salons in Central house of artists — Parking lots and advertising.

That there is Parking, when everything is so great:

Beautiful? — Yes.

Solid? — Yes.

Crowded? — Yes.

Sales? — No.

Like this? — And that's it.

And here we smoothly approach to the main issue: was the sale or not?

oddly enough, but the answer to this question is not as simple as it seems.

and how it can be just the answer, if the organizers were a direct prohibition to sell anything?

Cash registers not? No. So what's the trade? To break the law? Directly under walls of the Kremlin? Yes, there are cameras everywhere, FSO, the butt and the throw is terrible, and even more painting to sell... immediately busted.

So we have that-то such low-level rumors. Supposedly (stress alleged) was sold two icons $200,000 each, Yes eseta-две paintings in the same amount.

?

.

A pattern of what? Modern or Antiques? — Antiques, modern pipe completely.

Oops, where's the party? And where are the oligarchs?

who the Hell knows.

you say that You had a lot of people?

.

what?

And nothing was said to me by the parties, one social sphere. The endless procession stretchedpeople are very elderly, and among them all those who came so CHA. Well, maybe a little more, maybe, reached, those who have already stopped going to CHA. But those mythical buyers for the sake of which all and was started in this place, alas, was not. Failed to "build communism" in a particular Arena.

What are they not enough? What else they need, these mythical buyers? In the steepest place going color art-бизнеса, from the bins got all the best and most expensive. What?

Here it is, the main question is: so what?

Now I don't know that someone-то there again what-то didn't know. Or that a decent (read: rich) people again didn't like the venue. Everybody knew everybody. So what's the deal? Maybe expensive? Maybe the price was not satisfied with these decent people? And they asked her? By the way, asked, and of course the high prices have not gone away: four times above the market, and even more. What? When you are decent people who twist the nose what-то CHA — okay. But here-то Manege, Kremlin wall, there can be no other.

What conclusion can be drawn from the above? That all bad? Yeah, it's bad. And in a country well? @Ndashто has changed for the better? Business went downhill? Maybe the investment climate finally-то improved? If you ask about it at the Kremlin Wall, then Yes, everything has become better and more fun, but if you ask the former owner of "Magnet" Galician... how the-то and no, he did not. Which of them to believe, decide for yourself, and we'll get back to the results of RA&AF.

Some-что positive was, namely a large number of new-старых contacts. It was noted by all participants, and for the first time, talking about the post-sale. Yes, here and now is zero, but hoping for further talks, read between the lines: bargaining. And that's good. This means that the idea to gather all in one good location — is correct. Next question to the country, to its development, and not to the organizers or the participants.

So we believe that the celebration of life was held, and we hope not the last time...

Babulin Constantine, AI