Well-known Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov have reported that the market of Russian postwar art gets more and more fakes, and said that found in the sale of several imitations of his works. The couple, who created, along with 1989, the first time publicly talking about counterfeiting and promised to do everything possible to obstruct the activities of criminals.

In February this year Ilya Kabakov became the author of the most expensive work in the area of post-war Russian Art, where his painting «Beetle »(1982) was sold at Phillips de Pury auction for 2.9 million pounds ($ 5 million). Note that until June 2007, the value of Kabakov at auction has never exceeded 1 million dollars.

Emilia Kabakov, who makes statements on behalf of her husband, said: «The perpetrators are counting on the naivety of buyers, as well as their desire to acquire a considerable amount of work early or well-known and highest paid artist, paid only a fraction of its true value».

recently opened in Moscow Kabakov retrospective - the first time since their emigration from the Soviet Union. September 15, opened specially created for the Museum of Fine Arts Pushkin installation «Gate», which includes art objects, paintings and drawings. September 16 at the Center of Contemporary Culture «garage» public presented an exhibit which included the object «red car», made for the Dusseldorf Kunsthalle show, and the installation of «alternative history of the arts». September 17 in CSR «Winery» opened the famous «Much Life», «The game of tennis» and «WC».

This extensive display triggered a strong interest in their creativity on the part of Russian collectors. According to Emily Kabakov, shortly after the opening of an exhibition in Moscow collectors offered seven false works, allegedly carried out by the spouses. Explicitly imaginary provenans seller has added the statement that they were confiscated at the Soviet border in the 1980's.

October 4, art dealer from London, Helen Walker (Yelena Walker) Kabakov contacted by e-mail to verify the authenticity of the work, which suggested that one of its Russian clients. Ms. Walker explained his doubts as: «The work done on canvas, and Kabakov usually writes on the board. Besides, it seemed to me that there are too many pictures and details. Kabakov, by contrast, is trying to get rid of the images and replace them with words. He - like an accountant - precise and carefully ». Emilia Kabakov confirmed that the proposed work - forgery.

Emilia Kabakov told that the first fakes - pale copy of the original drawings - have appeared in the 1990's. Their value was about 2 000 USD. A forgery of the first paintings were made in 2005 and has already sold over 200 000 dollars.

«Of course, we can not account for every picture ever written by Ilya, but we have recently completed the first catalog of Kabakov paintings, prepared with the support of the Museum Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden Museum), and therefore know where the or in each work », - asserts Emilia Kabakov.

She explained that in November 2007, saw in London in the auction catalog MacDougall's three drawings attributed Kabakov, but actually is not, and was surprised that the representatives of the auction house did not appeal to her for proof of authenticity.

William McDougall (William MacDougall), co-director of MacDougall's, explained this by saying that these pictures were «very reliable provenans. Brochures have been published long before the bidding, and because of the artists and the experts had enough time to voice their opinions regarding the on sale products ». However, if no claims have been made, and since then no claim on the part of buyers, too, have been reported.

According to figures published on the site MacDougall, the drawings were sold for 3313-57282 thousand pounds, including tax and buyer's premium.

But one of the most interesting stories in imitation, in the words of Emily Kabakov, occurred when one of Moscow dealer asked her to confirm the authenticity of the picture from a private collection, which had been forgery. «I said, that will destroy her, but the people beg me on the phone:" Please do not do this, because it belongs to a criminal gang, and I call you back. " After 15 minutes he was back: "They said that you can destroy it, and they make a new "».

U Kabakov is a special file, where they enter data on the forgery, as well as post pictures and information about the bogus on its website. If the situation deteriorates, spouses turn to law enforcement agencies.

Roshchin Vladimir, a Moscow publisher of four volumes of «top of forged works of art», explained that, in the sense falshivok «the situation of the works of postwar artists are much worse than with the classic works of Russian art. The problem is the lack of independent experts and a lack of knowledge of post-war art ».

The catalog imitations, the fifth volume of which is due in late October, are mostly works of XIX century. In the last volume listed 290 falshivok, including paintings by such popular artists of the buyers, as Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky and Alexei Bogolyubov .

Vladimir Roshchin reported that no plans to release volumes of the forgery of the postwar period, since this topic has not yet sufficiently reliable information.

to increase the number of fakes say many artists, dealers and collectors. Kelner, Mark (Mark Kelner) from Washington, gathering works of Russian postwar art, said that recently he was offered three forgery - two of the Mikhail Shvartsman and one Dmitry Krasnopevtseva . Both of these authors are among the most popular market for postwar art. In June 2006, «Still Life with three jugs» (1976) Krasnopevtseva was sold at Sotheby's in London for 512 thousand pounds in the estimeyte to 35 thousand. And in February 2007, again, at Sotheby's in London, the picture Shvartsman «Yaroe eye» (1966-1972) went under the hammer for 192 thousand feet at estimeyte to 60 thousand.

Mark Kelner also explained that often sees on the eBay online auction of the nonconformists Oscar Yakovlevich Rabin and sends the information residing in Paris, the artist, what makes him a great deal of surprise.

And yet the majority of artists, dealers and collectors, despite the difficulties, are in agreement that the reduction in the number of fakes that are trying to fill the market, it is possible. This requires a high awareness and vigilance double art dealers, auction houses, artists and buyers.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Sources: artinfo.com , bloomberg.com , artinvestment.ru