Art Moscow 2008

By Raisa Clavijo

For the 12th time Art Moscow, the International Contemporary & Actual Art Fair in Moscow, took place in the Central House of Artists from May 14th to 18th. This year the fair aimed to increase again its quality, and a high profile jury consisting of national and international experts handpicked 54 exhibitors out of 300 applicants.

Since Art Moscow started in 1996 as the first Russian art fair featuring high quality contemporary art, fully in accordance with international standards, the primary goal has been to create an ideal environment for the exhibition of art works in Moscow and to promote contemporary art among the public at large. The organizers aim to involve state museums, exhibition halls and mass media in the fair. For 2008 the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Moscow City Hall Cultural Committee offered their support to the fair to further develop the Russian art market. For this one week, Art Moscow served as a forum for contemporary art, where owners of galleries, trustees, critics, theoreticians, art historians, artists, judges and collectors from all over the world  gathered and experienced, discussed and enjoyed today’s art.

In 2008, 44 galleries from eleven different European countries (Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Serbia, Ukraine, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Estonia) and Russia exhibited their art works with a focus on new international trends since 1990. Classical Modernism, as a major source of influence for subsequent artists up to now, was exhibited at Art Moscow. When the present edition closed, sales records were still unavailable.

The presentation of the galleries was accomplished by the Art Books Fair, where ten publishers presented high-quality literature about contemporary art and culture, in limited editions, surveys and studies of artists and in the history of art, fashion, design and illustration. Furthermore the program of Art Moscow 2008 was enriched by special projects like the installation ‘La Conversacion’ by the most famous living Cuban artist, Kcho, and accompanied by a parallel program organized by the institutions of Moscow’s art world like the gallery night at the Winzavod Art Centre or the exhibition of Julia Vinter at the Moscow Museum of Contemporary Arts. For the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, Art Moscow served as a first-hand way to introduce the participants of its intensive course to the secrets and processes of contemporary art and the overall art market.

For further information, visit, www.artmoscow.org