About Cosmoscow 2017

The 5th-anniversary edition of Cosmoscow, Russia’s only international contemporary art fair, will once again take place within Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor, on 8 – 10 September 2017, supported by strategic partner Credit Suisse and jewellery partner Messika. The Fair marks its 5th anniversary with a new Colloborations section with shared displays between Russian and international galleries, and a Non-commerical Programme, Where is the revolution, timed with the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, featuring specially commissioned large-scale installations by Cosmoscow 2017 artist of the year Ivan Gorshkov and Krasnodar Center for Contemporary Art, Typography.

“We are happy to announce Cosmoscow art fair’s 5th anniversary edition. Having several years of experience behind us now, we can certainly say that so far Cosmoscow has firmly established itself as a steady platform for consolidation of Russian contemporary art market, serving as a driving force of its development and integration within the international context. Cosmoscow is the only national fair introducing Western collectors to the new market and new names. We carry on supporting young artists far and wide, helping them to build up a dialogue with both Russian and international collectors, patrons and art lovers. We will do our best to ensure that the 5th anniversary edition of Cosmoscow will turn out to be as vibrant and inspiring as our previous fairs. We are grateful to our expert committee, advisory board and long-term partners, such as Credit Suisse and St. Regis Hotel and new partner Messika”, says Margarita Pushkina, Founding Director, Cosmoscow.

Credit Suisse has become Cosmoscow's Strategic Partner for the third consecutive year. Through this partnership, the Swiss bank aims to contribute to the development of the Russian contemporary art market and help the fair achieve its goal of increasing the visibility and accessibility of Russian artists and their work both domestically and globally. Credit Suisse has, for many years, worked with leading cultural institutions around the world to encourage innovative arts projects and wider access to theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts. The bank’s sponsorship commitments include, for example, the National Gallery in London, the Beijing Music Festival and the Kunsthaus in Zurich. In Russia, Credit Suisse has been the General Sponsor of the Bolshoi Theatre since 2007.

Cosmoscow’s core programme will include the Main and the Discovery sections. The latter traditionally features galleries less than five years old, and those representing emerging artists. This year’s edition will introduce a new Collaborations section that will serve as an additional space for collaboration between Russian and international galleries. Participation in this section provides visiting galleries, and their artists, with a unique perspective on the Russian cultural landscape and art market, and useful and meaningful dialogues with established Russian galleries and local artists.

A number of galleries have already confirmed their participation in Cosmoscow 2017 including 11.12 Gallery (Moscow), Anna Nova Art Gallery (St. Petersburg), Artwin Gallery (Moscow), Marina Gisich Gallery (St. Petersburg), Pechersky Gallery (Moscow), pop/off/art gallery (Moscow), Regina Gallery (Moscow), Ru Arts Gallery (Moscow), Temnikova & Kasela gallery (Tallinn), XL Gallery (Moscow), and Galerie Iragui (Moscow). The complete list of participating galleries will be announced separately in summer 2017.

Cosmoscow Facts

Cosmoscow art fair was launched by Russian collector and philanthropist Margarita Pushkina in 2010. Since the very beginning, its concept implied participation of both Russian and international galleries, artists and collectors. An inaugural edition of the fair successfully took place in 2010 (December 17-19) at the Moscow Red October former factory premises. Since then it is an annual September event with its own place in an international art calendar. Over the years Cosmoscow has hosted a number of important international galleries, including Blain|Southern Gallery, Sprüth Magers, Beck & Eggeling, Massimo De Carlo, Michael Werner, Matthew Bown Gallery, Galeria Javier Lopez & Fer Frances, Christine König Galerie, Galerie Gebr. Lehmann, Galerie Nordenhake, Simon Lee Gallery, and Wentrup Gallery along with the most notable Russian ones, including XL Gallery, Triumph Gallery, Regina Gallery, pop/off/art gallery, Frolov Gallery, Gary Tatintsian Gallery, 11.12 Gallery, and Marina Gisich Gallery.

In the intervening years, Cosmoscow has been successfully collaborating with numerous museums, foundations and independent institutions, including Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, M HKA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp), V-A-C Foundation, Vladimir Smirnov and Konstantine Sorokin Foundation, IN ARTIBUS Foundation, Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Christie’s auction house, Artsy online resource and many others. Such cooperation, besides producing successful projects of different kinds, also contributes to exchange of experience and consolidation of the art community.

For the third time Cosmoscow will take place in Gostiny Dvor – one of the most historically significant architectural monuments of the Russian capital, designed by Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi at the order of Catherine the Great issued in 1786.

The advisory board of the fair is consisted of longstanding members such as Dillyara Allahverdova, Antoine Arnault and Natalia Vodianova, Teresa Mavica, Ekaterina and Vladimir Semenikhin, Vassily Tsereteli, and Olga Vaschilina. The expert committee members are Elena Selina (XL Gallery, XL Projects) and Olga Temnikova (Temnikova & Kasela Gallery).