Anastasia Degtyarev of the exhibition from the collection of Russian avant-garde Sepherot Foundation
ARTinvestment.RU   11 сентября 2012

Sepherot fund two years of its existence, has taken part in exhibitions of Russian and foreign museums and galleries. The last great project based on the collection of the Fund - Chashnikov exhibition, Malevich and the Tretyakov Gallery Suetina

first name Sepherot Foundation was made in 2010. Mysterious fund registered in Liechtenstein, joined in the work with the exhibition of Russian portrait miniature XVII-XIX centuries in the Museum of History. In two years' Seferot "managed to show a collection of photographs by Alexander Rodchenko and his work selected to participate in a number of important projects. In the fall of 2012 raised the bar on the ultimate high. September 6, the Tretyakov Gallery Exhibition "... We will have three ..." - drawing and painting by Kazimir Malevich, Ilya Chashniki, Nikolai Suetin. Russian avant-garde, especially Suprematist works - is the highest league in collecting, requiring a maximum of competence, experience and strong financial resources. About the exhibition and its mysterious Ordainer ARTinvestment.RU asked Anastasia Degtyarev, representative of Sepherot Foundation in Russia.

ARTinvestment.RU: Foundation held a number of important exhibitions, earned a good reputation, is all the more surprising that the founders did not name names. What caused this?

Anastasia Degtyarev: The fact that the founders of the fund does not seek publicity, is not surprising. Enough to understand the organizational structure of the Fund as a legal entity and define the goals and objectives of its establishment. Funds tend, regardless of their jurisdiction, it is a tool allowing to solve a huge number of tasks: working in the field of art, they can minimize the risks that may arise, for example, when you move objects on the border, in tax matters , customs of inheritance. This form of association collection greatly simplifies the work with museums.

The fund, in contrast to other legal entities, not the founders in the usual sense, ie, people who founded the fund, not the owners of its assets or are not involved in its management.

as the governing body of the board of directors acts that effectively direct the Fund. Director of the Foundation - Peter Marxer. There is a council of experts, consisting of experts in the field of restoration, the attribution of works of art, museum directors, the directors of the Fund which helps make informed decisions. And there is a board of trustees - the companies and individuals who care about the enormous contribution of the Russian school in the history of world art. They financially support the work of the Fund, that is allowed to acquire new works to organize the publication of catalogs and exhibitions. All of this is a non-profit and you may say, charitable form. Goal - promotion of Russian art and collecting works of the Russian school, which are outside of Russia.

AI: How long does Sepherot? When it was formed?

AD: The Foundation since 2010. But I think that the collection itself formed over decades, long before the founding of the Fund.

AI: What art come to the attention of the fund? In particular, whether he buys the sixties and contemporary art?

AD: The Fund collects the works of Russian art, created between XVII until the end of XX century. Starting with portrait miniatures, almost the first secular painting in Russia, and to contemporary art. Speaking of modern art, the collection fund has , Gutov , , Maiofis , etc. There is also the sixties - Sveshnikov , , Komar and Melamid , , Kabakov Ilya I. , Zverev , Yakovlev Vladimir I. and others. In general, I think the task of the Fund to collect a kind of "periodic table" in Russian art, where all elements are important - from Briullov , and to Albert .

AI: Puts whether the fund itself Sepherot investment objectives?

AD: There is not a single case of the sale of works from the collection of the Fund and is not planned. The fund only purchases and acquisitions. The Fund also provides fundamentally works from its collection at the exhibition, which pursue commercial objectives. Besides a collection of formally protected as to avoid the factors that can divide it to survive and exist in time.

AI: Admittedly, a very unusual situation.

AD: is unusual because while unusual for the modern Russian man altruistic objectives and principles underlying the activities of such organizations.

AI: Clearly, when the Fund is created as a convenient structure for managing the collection, for the growth of its market capitalization, with an eye to the future. And in this case, a collection for the collection?

AD: The Fund and convenient structure for management, and the ability to live meeting. It is unfortunate that you want to see in this a commercial implications. The Foundation makes wonderful projects. I like that it is possible to make a good show for the Russian and European audiences, and this despite the massive cost of these risks for themselves and works in movement and exposure in the various museums, given this fact, storage is much less expensive and risky image of the congregation.

AI: Well, no. Exhibitions, and even in the right place, just contribute to the growth of capitalization of the meeting.

AD: They would rather promote the growth of a certain status . When they see several works of internationally recognized experts, and they are selected for an exhibition at the largest museum, which is usually also the research and scientific center for the artist, alleged to be exhibited, it means that they have passed an important stage in the recognition of the quality and authenticity.

AI: That's the visible concrete meaning. And how many works in the collection? And how many will be presented at the exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery.

AD: is now the Foundation's collection includes about 1,500 works. Of these, about one-third - works of the Russian avant-garde. The exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery will display 104 works.

AI: How long does the training class exhibition "We will have three»?

A. DA: is a laborious process that takes about one and a half to two years. It includes talks, with a collection of the work of experts, the development of the concept of the text of the catalog, the training works, if any of them require restoration.

AI: Sepherot makes exhibitions and abroad. What museums collaborate easier: with Russian or European?

AD: I am a Russian man - I find it easier to work with Russian museums. In terms of red tape is easier to work with European museums, and just in terms of the management of the collection, which is in Europe. But in general, a lot depends on the personality of the head, which is building the museum system and sets its energetic rhythm. In Russia, there are museums that work quickly and effectively. So, I had a wonderful experience with the Historical Museum with an exhibition of portrait miniatures. Now we are working well with the Tretyakov Gallery.

AI: We byword - a registration of temporary importation. The structures are not public, Review face serious difficulties. And how was you?

AD: In Russia, we only work with the museum's support, because to do everything on their own catastrophic difficult. Works from the Foundation, of course, brought to Russia under the temporary importation, especially for the museum project and, as a rule, under the state guarantees. These design - hard work, which can handle only museums.

AI: what kind of difficulties usually arise?

AD: Most absurd. We often change the law, there are new acts, amendments to previous acts. Are in the process of bringing some documents to ask for help with the official stamp, which does not exist, simply because the office that issues such records do not exist. So, if you can not rely on the shoulder of the museum, then we are all very inefficient.

AI: In general, the organization of the exhibition - whose initiative it? Museum or foundation? Mutual same initiative does not happen.

AD: It happens. We consulted with experts in the Tretyakov Gallery. They knew about the collection, the quality of the works in its composition. General fund focuses its activities on joint projects with museums, partly due to the lack of its exhibition space. The initiative is always the part of museums. Sometimes, if the project is important for the Fund, and the museum is having trouble with financing, we are ready to share the costs: to create the directory, some part of the transport costs or insurance. That is, the Fund is a partner.

AI: Let's talk more about the exhibition "We are three." Are presented her work related to the famous collection of Leo Nusberg?

AD: Archives of three artists - Malevich Chashniki and Suetina - united at the moment in a meeting, because the heirs of all three were linked by family ties. There are some works that are to our knowledge comes from the collection Nusberg. But their background - is a collection of Anna and Nina Leporskaya Suetina. That is, they are directly from the family, from the archives of all three artists.

AI: Who does the Foundation examination on the vanguard?

AD: When the question of the acquisition, the Fund seeks to obtain multilateral examination. Each time the expert pool is created: for chemical examination, art analysis of several specialists. Of great importance is the history of existence of things, the old exhibitions, publications.

AI: A directly on the phase selection of works for the exhibition of the experts who have watched them?

AD: The exhibition is the museum - the Tretyakov Gallery, and provides Sepherot only works from its own collection for display and is a financial partner in the sense of the cost to the organization. Selects works, creates the concept of the exhibition, the catalog prepared text directly Museum. The curator of this project is to Tatiana Goryachev - renowned expert and author of many publications on Suetin, Chashniki, Malevich. She saw the meeting and formed the conceptual material - selected the works, which are scheduled to show at this exhibition. Unfortunately, due to limitations in the exposition space, out of the works selected for the exhibition were able to show not all. It was very important as well expertise heirs of artists who confirmed the authenticity of the collection and its legal origin.

AI: What's the idea of ​​the project, "We will have three»?

AD: The works show the conceptual development of Malevich and his group, illustrate its evolution towards Suprematism. In the collection of the fund is one of the most important paintings of Malevich Suprematist Composition - very rare, and the early works that relate to his impressionistic experiences, is also quite rare, and late paintings, which is executed in a realistic manner. Almost exhibit illustrates an entire era. Next to Malevich, often according to his instructions, students and colleagues have developed their own way to the concept, the dynamics of the visible creative potentials of all three of them and see different results, which they have reached.

AI: Wow! Malevich's Suprematist paintings in private hands - is a great rarity. Tell me about this picture.

AD: This is a picture "Rectangle and Circle", one of the paintings, which in its entirety reflects conceptual view of Malevich, his philosophy suprematzma. In this work, a compelling story: Malevich created it in 1915 and brought it to his exhibition in Berlin in 1927. Forced to leave his work in Germany, the artist gave them to temporary storage Provincial Director-Museum in Hannover - Alexander Dorner, who, hiding from the Nazis, the collection moved in 1938 to the U.S. and bequeathed it to the museum store in Boston, and return in the event the rights the artist's heirs. They got it out of the hands of the museum in 1999 and later sold at auction Sotheby's.

AI: In general, this is what the "Seferot" is not present at most of the Tretyakov Gallery?

AD: The work, which can re-enter into scientific, very little. And the fact that there is a fund, which collected such things - it is a unique event. Therefore, it is important for the museum to present the expert community is unknown at this time work and allow the public to see them. And his Suprematist exhibition Tretyakov else will do.

AI: In addition to the paintings of Malevich Suprematist what other percussion things would you point?

AD: From the works Suetina one of the most important works is the stunning paintings by the "Woman with a black chain saw." It is a larger scale to the size of plot development paintings from the collection of the Russian Museum and recognized by experts as being very important in the artist.

AI: And before these works participated in the exhibition?

AD: from the fund Sepherot, with rare exceptions, these works have not been exhibited. And so, almost everyone has a history exhibit. Most of the works published in Russia have not seen. Among the exhibits, which you can remember - Malevich and the American Legacy, organized in 2011, Gagosian Gallery. In this exhibition presented paintings of Malevich. Earlier graphics Malevich participated in the exhibition Botin Foundation, dedicated to the ideas of the Russian cosmism.

AI: The traditional question about the plans - which will be the following projects Sepherot?

AD: of Russian museums can name the Russian Museum. Hopefully in the future, the Foundation will take part for his work in the exhibition devoted to the creative heritage of Malevich. In 2014, the plan is very important for the meeting exhibition at the Museum of Liechtenstein, devoted to the work of Ilya Chashnikov: it will be almost fully formed on the basis of the collection fund, from which the show of 100 works. The nearest exhibition planned for next year in Hamburg. It will be devoted to the work of Alexander Rodchenko. Among the exhibits from the Fund - graphics, posters, photographs, and a totally unique collection of icons, made by the artist's sketches.

AI: Do you plan to publication of a complete catalog of the collection fund Sepherot?

AD: -General Catalogue Raisonné Foundation's collection yet, but we are preparing some of its volumes in preparing catalogs for exhibitions. He has now print catalog N.Suetina in the meeting of the Fund and in a month will be published I.Chashnika directory. This is a lengthy process. In addition, different areas continue to form the collection, purchase new works and cataloging has a print completion.

The questions Babulin Constantine and Vladimir Bogdanov, AI