The Museum of Architecture is hosting the exhibition “Soviet Design. From constructivism to modernism." It shows rare pieces of furniture and decorative art from the last century. The creator of the exhibition and director of the Heritage gallery, Kristina Krasnyanskaya, spoke to VD about the correct collecting of Soviet things, trends in today's art market and the need for a Design Museum in Moscow.
Kristina Krasnyanskaya. Source: promo
Masterpieces of Soviet design
Our exhibition differs from numerous exhibitions on the topics Soviet history and everyday life. It's not about everyday life, it's about art. The halls display very rare, one-of-a-kind, original items. Main character, of course, furniture. But in parallel, porcelain, varnishes, and textiles of this period are also presented.
Soviet design today certainly deserves a museum and is worthy of becoming a collector's item. Of course, when impressionist paintings or Russian masterpieces are sold at Sotheby’s auction, everyone talks about it, our media writes about it. When design auctions take place, there is much less information and resonance. Meanwhile, both the prices and the masterpieces found at these auctions are not lower than the level.
USSR Pavilion at International exhibition 1939 in New York. . Source: fund State Museum architecture named after A.V. Shchuseva
Eras and styles
We are constantly trying to change the prevailing attitude towards Soviet design as something that carries with it negative energy. Of course it was a dramatic time. But those who start collecting get involved, see the nuances, notice how time has changed the lifestyle. For example, the era after the death of Stalin is the “era of the thaw,” the time of the Khrushchev era, new standards. Small-sized housing appeared, for which furniture had to be adapted. Watching this change of form is incredibly interesting.
exhibition “Soviet Design. From constructivism to modernism." Source: promo
Stalinist luxury
Probably the most spectacular section at the exhibition is the Stalinist Soviet Empire style. We show rare items from the Soviet Army Theater and an experimental vase from Mukhina’s workshop from the 1940s, drawings of vases by Boris Smirnov (Stalin’s favorite designer)…
exhibition “Soviet Design. From constructivism to modernism." Source: promo
And even in this pretentious and imperial world, amazing incidents happened. Take, for example, the stunning panel of Isidore Frikh-Hare, which is built on the principle of the icon of all saints. Once we had his one and a half meter sculpture of Russian and European workers passionately kissing under a red banner with the inscription “Workers of all countries, unite!” Remember, everyone was outraged by the depiction of policemen kissing, made in the early 2000s - and here it is 1937!
USSR Pavilion at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels. Source: fund of the State Museum of Architecture named after A.V. Shchuseva
Who needs things from Khrushchev buildings?
There is always an element of personal memory in collecting things. Take, for example, furniture from the 1960s, which appeals to my generation of 30-year-olds. But my parents don't like her at all. They had to live with her not in better conditions. But for the connoisseur or serious collector, in addition to nostalgia and memories, there are also trends in the art market. People who are, as they say, in the trend know that the 1960s are now on the crest of a wave. We had the same thing, just a lot was forgotten. Fortunately, Yuri Vasilyevich Sluchevsky, one of the leading designers of that time, is still alive.
exhibition “Soviet Design. From constructivism to modernism."
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Top model, TV presenter and actress. After receiving the title “Best comers girl in Russia” according to Fashion TV, she flew to conquer Paris. And she succeeded - Polina signed contracts with the Houses of Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Jitrois, Levi’s. And as a beauty model, Polina managed to work with L’Oreal and Feraud, becoming the face of successful advertising campaigns for famous brands.
A couple of months ago I was at an event dedicated to the opening of the exhibition of the famous artist of Russian diaspora Georgy Artemov at Heritage. All bohemian Moscow and influential people capitals gathered in this gallery. We were greeted by the owner of the gallery, whose name is widely known in business and fashion circles, beautiful girl with a charming smile, - Kristina Krasnyanskaya. That very evening I had the idea to record an interview with Christina, talk with her about her gallery, how difficult it is to achieve a calling and, of course, about the work of Russian artists.
: Christina, I'm glad to see you. Everyone knows the translation of the name of the gallery “Heritage”, which means “Heritage”. I know that the gallery only hosts exhibitions of Russian artists, what is the reason for this choice?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: Because the gallery has an official concept. The point is that we work with artists from Russian diaspora, with those who immigrated during the revolution or before it. Of course, their creativity is our heritage. Unfortunately, it was lost before a certain period. The task of our gallery is to restore this, showing the world that these are Russian artists. For example, until 1985, Marc Chagall signed in all galleries as French artist. At that time, it was forgotten that he came from Russia. Nowadays Chagall's items from the Russian period are valued much more on the market than those from France. He lived long life famous artist, almost 100 years old, and worked until the end of his days. It is always worth remembering that our Russian “Heritage” is a huge list of both famous names such as Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky, Natalia Goncharova, Mikhail Larionov, Konstantin Korovin, Boris Grigoriev, and less famous artists: Georgy Artemov, Boris Anisfeld, Andre Lanskoy, Serge Polyakov, Georgy Pozhedaev, Leopold Survage, Serge Charchoun and many others, who relatively recently became a discovery for collectors. In general, there is a concept of the art of the ethnic market. This group of artists goes beyond that. However, it is a widely known fact that Russians try to buy Russian art, Scandinavians - Scandinavian, Americans - American and so on.
: What is the reason for this?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: The desire to have works of artists who personify the nation, art familiar from childhood, seen more than once in national museums. An element of a kind of patriotism is also at work here. Each collector most often begins to buy what belongs to his heritage home country. The artists that the gallery deals with are interesting because they have a Russian school, Russian roots, but at the same time they are represented in the collections of museums around the world. These names are in the collections of not only Russian, but also Western collectors. These are Russian artists with a worldwide reputation. Wassily Kandinsky, Marc Chagall, Naum Gabo, Alexei Jawlensky have long been sold at Impressionist auctions, and nowhere in the world does anyone position them as Russian artists. Therefore, it was important for the gallery, firstly, to return our heritage to Russia. Secondly, we must not forget that these artists are also an integral part of the world's heritage. Therefore, their works are also a very good investment for collectors. Let’s take, for example, Artemov’s exhibition, which is currently taking place at Heritage. I first became acquainted with his works in a French gallery. When I saw his wooden panel displayed there, I was delighted. Having found out its cost, I thought that the price mentioned was intended for Russian buyers, but I was wrong. The panels were bought by the French, and at a very high price. short term. If you look at the history of Georgy Artemov’s work, you can see that he worked a lot for French customers, like Andre Lanskoy. The French gallery la Carré made a name for Lansky along with such famous artists, like Fernand Léger and Raoul Dufy.
: When choosing collections, do you, as a professional, rely on your taste?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: Yes. I don't have an art director, so I fill that role. My dream is for everything to work on its own, without my constant participation. But, unfortunately, this is practically impossible. On the one hand, this is, of course, wonderful, but on the other, it’s difficult. You are in a state of constant tension and responsibility for your business and the people who work with you. I used to think that owning a business meant freedom. This is a big misconception.
: While attending your events, I noticed that your clients and friends listen carefully to your opinion. This is great because you can help create the right collection from all angles. From the material side, as good investment, and from the spiritual-energetic side. Don't you feel a kind of pride that you are listened to?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: During all this time, I realized that the work of a gallery owner is, in a sense, also the work of a psychologist. Was different time, And long haul to what I have now. When I started selling art, not many people wanted to buy from me. People who are seriously involved in this spend a lot of money, have their own consultants and, naturally, the issue of trust in experience and professionalism is very important. I have understood two postulates for myself: first, I should never be ashamed of what I sell, a person should not be disappointed and return, and second, I never put pressure on people, I don’t “push in” anything, and I even advise my clients when purchases through other art dealers or galleries. Your honesty and professionalism lies in competently leading a person, giving him good advice. Our business is very subtle, because selling a yacht or a good car is easier than selling art, since art does not have any utilitarian function. In Russia, the majority of collectors still make a choice in favor of classical art. The situation is much more complicated with abstraction, non-figurative painting, and very difficult with actual, conceptual contemporary art. This is very interesting job, because by telling and conveying information to a person, you begin to educate him, develop him, change his aesthetic perception, making it, say, wider. The “observed row” is very important. After all, if a person does not watch exhibitions, he does not receive, along with what he saw, new information, it doesn't develop. In general, there is a standard collector's path: from classical landscapes to contemporary art...
: This is true, but most people, unfortunately, approach contemporary art according to the principle “Why does it cost so much, because I can do it too.”
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: This is usually due to a lack of information and preparation. When you gradually immerse yourself in a topic, you begin to understand better. It's simple really. An artist has two tools - form and content. And playing with these two instruments and their variations lasts 500 years. By form we mean “how it is made”: painting, graphics, sculpture, relief, counter-relief, installation, etc., up to performance and video art. Content is the theme, the artist's message to society. Art should have a dialogue with the viewer. Take, for example, expressionism, it would seem that the movement was formed as a result of the First World War, when emotions such as pain, disappointment and despair prevailed. The artists' task was to reflect this time, to convey these emotions through the canvas, and not to show beautiful picture with a joyful coloring, like the Impressionists. At this point, artists such as Egon Schiele and Edvard Munch appeared. Paintings that are beautiful in their own way, but differ from the usual vision of beauty.
: There is really a lot of pain in the paintings of these artists. Whenever something bad happens in my life, Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream” always pops up in my head.
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: Today in art we need a curator who becomes a translator, an explainer of the artist’s ideas for the viewer. Although, in my opinion, art should speak directly to the viewer.
: I agree with you. Take, for example, “Black Square” by Kazimir Malevich. Having shocked the audience with such a work, he opened the way for imagination and freedom of thought regarding what he wanted to convey to the viewer.
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: Malevich is a completely different topic. This is the Russian avant-garde, one of the most sought after and therefore counterfeited themes in the art world. Artists who have arrived at non-objectivity have mastered all levels, all styles, all directions. Malevich, having followed this path, essentially became the founder of minimalism. He reset the form.
: Your gallery is already six years old, do you feel that you want to work in this direction all your life?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: You know, I really like what I'm doing now. Perhaps I will change the form in the future this direction, somehow develop, grow, going beyond the gallery. I'm not one of those who think ten years ahead. The art world is multifaceted, and the gallery is one of them. This is very expensive business, but provides an opportunity for many interesting projects, creativity, curatorial work and promotion to the international market, participation in international projects. We became the first and so far the only Russian gallery to exhibit at Design Miami Basel. We present another direction that I have been passionately involved in for several years - collection design. We were in both Miami and Basel. I bring design items from Western authors to Russia, and Soviet design to Basel. When I started, everyone told me that no one needed it. I took a lot of risks and was worried about how our project would be perceived by world-class collectors and the Western media. But everything turned out so well. Today we are friends with world museums and have excellent responses in the Western press.
: At the beginning of your journey, many discussed the support of your parents in creating the gallery. You are great, and every year you prove that you are a professional in your field, and not just the daughter of your parents. Wasn't it offensive that they said that?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: I always understood that people would have an association with my family, and this is a certain axiom. I'm very proud of my last name, if I have to use my first name I always do. But despite all this, I am on my own. Of course I had start-up capital. When I found a place for a gallery and offered it to my father, he told me it was crazy. After all the negotiations, I said that I don’t know how successful the gallery will be, but the site is liquid, which means we won’t lose anything. He agreed with me. Before that, I worked in a closed gallery for 1.5 years, and it was a good start in creating my own business. I also had experience as a dealer, so I already understood something about this activity. The disappointment was elsewhere. When I started doing this, I thought that my acquaintances and friends who collect art would immediately start buying from me. But people came, smiled and didn’t really buy anything... Now I understand why. People who invest money in art already have trusted persons, consultants, and I am a girl who just started doing this, and whose experience did not inspire due confidence.
My first serious deal happened like this. One day I was walking around another exhibition in Paris, upset, and met an acquaintance of mine. He was already actively buying art at that time and had a good understanding of it. He asked what was interesting in my gallery, and at that time I had two very good serious works. He asked to bring them to his office and, seeing the paintings, decided to buy them, without even haggling too much. This was my first success, and step by step people began to trust my opinion.
: How do you promote the gallery?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: Regarding PR, I never work with agencies, only with people. This is correct because PR is a point system. I remember my first glossy photo shoot, which was for Harper’s Bazaar. There was an amazing photographer there, the shoot lasted 6 hours. A couple of days later, when I saw the result, I was a little shocked. My face was changed beyond recognition by Photoshop. This was my first appearance in gloss. There was a lot after that... I'm very proud of the interview in Wallpaper* Magazine. The issue was dedicated to Russia, and featured the best professionals in their field. Arkady Novikov for his contribution to catering business, Daria Zhukova for best center contemporary art, Olga Sviblova, as a person associated with photography, and me as the personification of design in Russia. It was very nice and important for me.
: Okay, and regarding women’s weaknesses, what do you like?
Kristina Krasnyanskaya: I won’t be original if I say that I adore bags, shoes and coats. With all this, I have a very relaxed attitude towards jewelry, I prefer clothes. When someone gives me something, I prefer it to be ART than jewelry. So I'm changing Graff to Pablo Picasso.
Heritage Gallery celebrates its 7th anniversary in February with the exhibition “Soviet Design. From Constructivism to Modernism" at the Museum of Architecture: Design Furniture Nikolay Lansere, Boris Iofan, Karo Alabyan— now a new profile of the gallery, which previously specialized in artists of Russian diaspora and their exhibitions, including museum ones, — Andre Lansky, Boris Grigoriev. The owner of Heritage told what else to expect from her gallery - and from her personally.
Why did you stop holding auctions?
For two reasons. Firstly, this is a very labor-intensive and costly task. Secondly, we don’t yet have the culture of buying at auctions. My colleagues and I are trying to instill something like this, but it’s going hard. Mostly dealers go to auctions - and auction houses aimed at dealers. But among the general public, not collectors, but simply buyers, those who buy from time to time, this has not yet become a habit - visiting auctions, flea markets, experiments in the organic combination of old and new... Everyone is very dependent on their designer. And designers have their own preferences and principles. As a result, everything results in far-fetched “turnkey” interiors, which soon become morally obsolete. A few years - and a person understands that he can no longer live in this. I’m now making my own apartment, where there’s a mixture of everything. Eclecticism as a principle - we tried to explain this to clients starting from the first exhibition of collectible furniture here in Moscow (an exhibition with the participation of famous Parisian galleries Didier Aaron And Yves Gastou spanned the 18th - 20th centuries, from Jean-Francois Ebena before Ettore Sottsassa. — TANR). So I will have Scandinavian furniture from the 1960s, and Soviet, and Russian art, and modern, and not so modern.
But modern Art you have a new direction of activity.
This is a separate project where I act more like an art manager. There are a few Russian artists, which I, so to speak, want to integrate into the international context - for me this is interesting task, a reason to use already tested, well-known technologies. We'll see what comes of this. So far I have two wards. Alexey Morozov I like him because he has a school, but with an academic uniform he also has contemporary touch: despite his academicism, his art does not seem salon-like. I really like Morozov and am ready to supervise him Alessandro Romanini, who has done more than one exhibition Botero, including the recent anniversary one. A tour is being prepared: first, an exhibition of Morozov at the Naples National Archaeological Museum, in December 2015, then, in March 2016, in Moscow, in MMOMA on Gogolevsky. We are negotiating with Venice - we would like to present marble sculpture Morozov in one of the city squares during the Biennale.
Another artist - Oksana Mas. Oksana is a creative person. She came to me when she realized that implementing her projects required the work of a whole team. One of hers Altar what is it worth (we will show it in Gorky Park in March)! The curator and art critic became interested in her Janet Zwingenberger, who saw her work several years ago, has been watching her since then and is now going to write a monograph about Oksana. Oksana is also on tour: exhibition Feeling of Light will be held in Baku from July 5 to September 5, after that - Astana, Berlin, and now we are negotiating about Istanbul.
But this is not a gallery, this is me; The gallery is still some limitation of the format. The gallery deals with artists from Russia abroad plus collectible design. And I, like any person, want to develop. To do this, I need some perspectives where I will no longer perform as a gallery, but as Christina.
And if you choose one thing, what would you choose?
On design, of course. But why? I decided that I could afford several unrelated projects. In the West we are known as a gallery that deals with design; collection design - in Russia this is the niche where we became pioneers; The gallery has formed a significant collection, which includes unique items, from constructivism to modernism - in a few years this collection may well become a museum. In Moscow and in Russia, we are still known mainly due to the fact that we are involved in Russian diaspora: we have done many worthy museum-level projects, we cooperate with museums, we are part of the society of friends of the Russian Museum, we have our collectors, whose collections we maintain and replenish new works, we advise... But for the 7th anniversary of the gallery, I want to make an exhibition at the Museum of Architecture dedicated specifically to design - a retrospective of Soviet design, covering almost all areas in this field, historical excursion starting with furniture Boris Iofan for Government House and ending in the 1960s. While working on catalogs, especially for international fairs, I realized that, in addition to purely technical and accompanying information, everyone is always interested in general information. I thought that an educational program was needed. I got the idea to do documentary, where you can imagine an era precisely through things - through spectacular things, pompous things, tragically dying and forgotten things... I want to make a film so serious that I could take part in a documentary film festival with it, for example. I plan to present the film in Basel in the summer - we don’t have time for February.
You didn’t go to Basel last summer...
...But next year we are going. If the political situation allows. We have a specific material - Soviet design. And going to Europe with Soviet propaganda furniture, you see, now would be ridiculous. So we refused. The organizers were upset. They said that a circle of those who are interested in us has already formed, and for the organizers such a situation, when a gallery participates for three years, then suddenly does not participate, is not very clear, art should be outside of politics and beyond borders. Of course - but what about art that is political in content? Then, the Basel fair receives wide media coverage. Who hasn't written about us: Wallpaper, Guardian, Daily Telegraph! Now, the question arises, why do all this and take it to Basel, knowing in advance that you risk running into a programmed negative reaction for everything Russian? Before that I had an excellent reputation - I didn’t want to spoil it.
But are you going to continue to promote Soviet design at Design Miami?
Recently, over dinner in Italy, my collectors told me that the 1950s and 1960s were so cool that I would never give up this topic. Rem Koolhaas contacted us when we were in Basel, because he was just working on one of the future Garage premises, created at the appropriate time. But we are not limited only to this period. It's just that things from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s are rarer and more collectible, let's put it that way; although there is little left of the 1960s either. But these things are more in demand than ever, and indeed that era seems to be becoming relevant again. Our material attracts museums. I became friends with the Museum of Decorative Arts in New York, which recently became a division of the Smithsonian Institution; they showed interest in joint exhibitions: their head of the exhibition department, deputy director, is engaged in propaganda textiles. Thank you Craig Robins, founder and co-owner Design Miami, which provided the Russian gallery with the opportunity to show Soviet design at such a fair - and properly declare itself.
Where did the idea to work on Soviet furniture come from?
The idea came the moment I noticed, diligently attending Design Miami from year to year, that the share of the most fashionable, most expensive, most sought-after Art Deco style began to decline, gradually giving way to furniture of the 1950s-1960s. Plus somewhere memories of Soviet childhood played. Craig Robins once took me to the stand of a gallery that deals with Scandinavian design, and when I saw this minimalist, ascetic furniture, I was surprised to learn from the gallery owner that I had just bought the entire stand from him Roman Abramovich. Yes, there are few collectors, but they exist. It’s just that few people know that Abramovich has a house, furnished with historical items in the style of the 1930s. What did Abramovich buy? Bacon- they know this.
You were going to not only sell collectible furniture, but apparently also produce it.
A year ago, when I talked about this, I believed that by now we would be at a slightly different point than we found ourselves. I still cherish this idea of reproducing Soviet designs, but the project has not yet been launched. What's good about replicas: not everyone is ready to acquire old, antique furniture - even a restored and reupholstered chair, but still of a respectable age - and a replica is another matter. I didn’t reinvent the wheel, but just a couple of years ago in Paris in a gallery Yves Gastou I saw repetitions Ettore Sottsassa, limited edition. Evelina Khromchenko said: “I will be your first customer for a replica.” And she's not alone. Will it be manufactured here or overseas? Given current realities, most likely here.
But without reproducing Soviet quality?
Are you talking about materials? Yes, the quality dropped, and most of the furniture of that time was later thrown away precisely for this reason. But the source materials were normal. When we began to study this period, then Yuri Vasilievich Sluchevsky(86-year-old professor of the furniture department, honored artist Yuri Sluchevsky still teaches the main major course “Furniture Design” at the S. G. Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Sciences. - TANR) talked about exhibitions at VDNKh in the late 1950s - early 1960s, when prototypes were made in the experimental workshop of Stroganovka - from high-quality, durable materials. In mass production, of course, other materials were used. And the prototypes were distributed to dachas and apartments.
Kristina Krasnyanskaya is the daughter of the famous entrepreneur Georgy Krasnyansky (a former partner of Filaret Galchev, he now heads the board of directors of the Karakan Invest coal company). She oversees three collections at once - family, personal and gallery. “The family collection began to take shape about 15 years ago. We somehow fell into a general trend when everyone started buying art,” says Kristina Krasnyanskaya. - But there are some things that I am now buying for myself. It’s not an easy process because you have to constantly separate yourself as a collector from yourself as a gallerist.”
The Krasnyanskys, like many Russian collectors, started with classical Russian painting of the 19th-20th centuries - Aivazovsky, Zhukovsky, Meshchersky, Konchalovsky, Kustodiev. The Heritage Gallery, which Christina opened on Petrovka in February 2008, initially specialized in artists from the Russian diaspora. But about five years ago the girl became interested in design. “Parents are less interested in design, although they also have Scandinavian modern items. It seems to me that in Russia people have just begun to immerse themselves in this topic,” says Christina.
She herself took her passion even further and added objects created in the USSR to European design. When we met at Heritage at the exhibition “Soviet modernism - a phenomenon of culture and design of the 20th century,” things from her personal collection were on display there.
According to Krasnyanskaya, before her, Russian collectors practically did not deal with Soviet furniture as such.
The girl sees the goal of her museum projects as “showing the Soviet in a non-Soviet way.” She enjoys integrating Soviet design into an international context.
To this end, Krasnyanskaya has been taking items from her collection to the prestigious international fair Art Basel Miami for several years now. Many of the exhibits are real rarities, and Western curators appreciate this, she says: “I have 23 objects from a communal house in Smolensk in the late 1930s, made by the Leningrad sculptor Krestovsky, this is such a transition from constructivism to late art deco. I recently exhibited them at Art Miaimi Basel - it was a project dedicated to cultural phenomenon communal houses After this, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London approached me with a proposal to do a joint project. Foreigners react instantly to everything related to propaganda design.”
Her design collection already numbers several hundred pieces. “There is a fairly impressive collection of furniture - constructivist objects by Boris Iofan from 1929, in particular, his famous chair from the House on the Embankment, unique designer items of propaganda design from the communal house of 1937; there are author’s items of the Stalinist Empire style, there is the Soviet art deco of Nikolai Lanceray, which will be exhibited here in May - and the final big style, which is on display now: so-called Soviet modernism, from 1955 to 1985,” Christina lists, walking through exhibition hall. - Just at the beginning of this period, the Khrushchev buildings, so disliked by many, appeared - and with them a new style. First of all, this is small-sized furniture that would be convenient in small apartments.”
Soviet modernist design, it must be said, is rarely found on the market - according to Krasnyanskaya, with the exception of museum-quality rarities, furniture from the 1960s was often thrown into landfills, burned, or sent to dachas. But she was lucky with her partners: “When we started working on this topic, we worked very closely with the Stroganov Academy, on the basis of which an experimental workshop was once created. There they made samples that were exhibited at three major exhibitions dedicated to the new design - 1958, 1964 and 1967.”
“When we went to Art Miami Basel for the first time, Stroganovka helped us find things from these exhibitions, which after the shows were distributed to the dachas and apartments of those who could afford them. So we ended up with things from these apartments - prototypes that were made from higher quality materials than in mass production. But we don’t give up mass-produced furniture either, because there’s almost none of it left today.”
Krasnyanskaya's Soviet furniture does not look Soviet, largely due to high-quality restoration. “We don’t have the goal of replicating the same fabrics that were used in the original,” she says. - Of course, we select it in such a way that the spirit of the time, the feeling of the era is preserved - but these things receive a new interpretation thanks to some game moment. For example, these chairs from the late 1960s and early 1970s are upholstered in Loro Piana fabric, which would be difficult to imagine in the Soviet Union.” The chairs are part of her own collection and have already participated in several exhibitions.
IN new apartment Krasnyanskaya also has a pair of Soviet armchairs – she sees “a certain chic” in them. Many pieces of modernist furniture presented in her gallery can easily be confused with Scandinavian design, which is very popular in Lately on the art market.
In the four years that she has been collecting furniture and home decor, Scandinavian design from the 1950s and 1960s has tripled in value.
Kristina also sees investment potential in things marked “made in the USSR”: “Of course, interest in Soviet design is growing. Collectible super-things, which are practically absent on the market, are always in demand and are expensive. But I am sure that things that were mass produced and are present at this exhibition simply as a reflection of the era will sooner or later also be appreciated.”
Perhaps the most impressive objects from Krasnyanskaya’s personal collection presented here are Soviet art glass. “I believe that unlike porcelain, this niche has not yet been so popularized. Let's start with the fact that the art glass was recreated by Vera Mukhina, the author of “The Worker and the Collective Farm Woman” and the cut glass. Since 1934, she headed the experimental workshop at the Leningrad Mirror Factory. I have an absolutely stunning plexiglass vase of hers from the late 1940s,” she says.
At Heritage, Christina exhibited a glass vase from the late 1960s with a base in the shape of linear insulators and power lines engraved in a circle. The author is Estonian artist Helen Põld, who worked in that very experimental workshop of the Leningrad Mirror Factory. “It’s an amazing thing - delicate workmanship and at the same time a production message,” comments Christina. - The circulation was very small, such things are in only a few museums. Pure art! She also includes in the same category a triptych from the late 1970s with the unexpectedly relevant title “Ukrainian Uprising” - powerful, expressive vases made of experimental double-layered red and white glass, reminiscent of the works of Emile Galle. Krasnyanskaya found them in a private collection in Ukraine: “They were not used in everyday life - they stood as an art object. There were several glass production facilities in Ukraine, in Kyiv and other places.”
Christina herself was born in Kyiv, like her mother, and the first thing in their family art collection is from there: a watercolor by Taras Shevchenko with a Kyiv view - the main one Ukrainian poet was also an artist. Over the course of a decade and a half, they managed to assemble a museum-level collection of Russian paintings and graphics, as Krasnyanskaya says. She dreams of one day showing the entire family gathering in one of the major museums. The space of her gallery is simply not enough for this: the Krasnyansky family collection is contained in four storage facilities - three in Moscow and one in Geneva.
Krasnyanskaya does not name the estimated cost of the collection, nor does she disclose the costs of its formation. Her gallery employs five people, but she, being an art critic by training, makes all decisions about buying or selling objects herself. Unless you consult with fellow collectors about authenticity or pricing if there are any doubts. And lately he has been participating in auctions only through representatives, and not personally - he says that the emotional atmosphere there is like in a casino, which is why you can easily fall outside your pre-planned budget.
While the big family exhibition hasn’t happened, Krasnyanskaya is showing everyone exhibits from her own collection of design objects and the collections of her friends at Heritage. She does not charge a fee for visiting.
Another feature of the Krasnyanskaya Gallery is the collectors’ dinners. “This is often done in the West, but we were one of the first in Russia. The goal is for private collectors to display their acquisitions in a pleasant environment,” she says as our tour comes to an end. - We did serious music program for these meetings. Yuri Bashmet, Denis Matsuev, Lyubov Kazarnovskaya, Vladimir Spivakov and my good friend Yuri Rozum. There were no commercial goals - just a gesture on the part of the gallery. Any collector, no matter what he says, wants to show off his acquisitions.”