Concerts Opera Dance Theater Gigs Exhibits

	Courtesy Of Pierre Brochet Chechen artist Alexei Kallima is the current darling of the Russian art world. His works are among those being exhibited around Russia.

Modern Art on Tour

French art collector Pierre Brochet is taking his exhibition around Russia to show audiences the works and to teach them about collecting..

By Marina Kamenev
Published: May 8, 2008

Moscow's art galleries have already displayed more than their fair share of works by contemporary Russian artists such as performance artist Oleg Kulik, mischievous group the Blue Noses and postmodern artist Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe.

But for cities farther away from the capital, their work is fresh, influential and in some cases a nine-hour flight away. Which is why art collector Pierre Brochet is taking his exhibition, "The Future Depends on You," to cities around Russia such as Vladivostok and Kaliningrad, accompanied by a series of talks to encourage both artists and collectors to be more involved with Russia's booming contemporary-art scene.

"When you pay $1000 for a ticket to the opera or to a football match, you get a brief moment of emotional satisfaction but nothing afterward," Brochet said. "But for $1000 for a painting from a young artist, not only do you get long-term emotional satisfaction, you are also making an investment."

Brochet began his career in Moscow in exactly this way, by investing in the work of artist Giya Abramishvili. He now has a collection big enough to fill four stories of the Museum of Modern Art on Yermolayevsky, which he did last year. While art collecting began as something that he did in his spare time when not working as director of the Avant-Garde publishing house, it now seems to be his main focus.

"I want to bring contemporary art to different parts of Russia," Brochet said in an interview. "I also want to explain what contemporary art is, not only in terms of art pieces, but also in terms of lifestyle. There is so much going on in the contemporary-art world, that being part of it in itself is a reason to travel." Brochet himself spends much time overseas at art fairs and exhibitions.

He also hopes to teach people what they should look for in a painting, why they should buy the work and how to enjoy collecting art. "If you watch a football match and don't know the rules, it is difficult to understand and you are unlikely to enjoy it. It's the same with contemporary art: If you don't know what to look for in a painting then its difficult to have success as a collector," Brochet said.

"The Future Depends on You" has already visited Vladivostok, proving highly popular and provoking a variety of responses. "Some people reacted to the content of the work, others to the price of the works, and others to psychological aspects of the work."

One artist that attracted attention in Vladivostok was Alexei Kallima, the current darling of Russia's contemporary art scene. German gallerist Volker Diehl has taken his pictures to Art Dubai, and his artworks are currently on display at the Marat Guelman Gallery.

One of his pictures shows two soldiers from a strange, architectural perspective. One is wearing a tracksuit and praying, while the other is lying on his back with his arms extended, in a crucifix position, a gun lying abandoned to his side.

"He has a very strong academic background, which allows him to use geometric elements to structure his paintings." Brochet said. "For example, the three white stripes in the Adidas costume worn by the Chechen soldier add tension to the image. His combination of discipline and creativity is why he is becoming so famous."

Another aspect of "The Future Depends on You" is finding new, talented artists through talks and lectures. Brochet coordinated with universities to make sure that artists are invited to workshops. "In Vladivostok we found talented young people but they are still working in the style of post-Impressionism. They were grateful that I visited, because for them it's very important to see these artworks. They have the skills now and they need to know which direction they should go next."

For more information, see www.newrules.ru.

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