ArtLab

The Laboratory of research of Russian and global art markets is a scientific and research base of the Institute.

The ArtLaboratory tasks are:

1. To provide educational process with education manuals, which are created on the basis of economic database and collected art historical information.
2. To monitor the contemporary art market trends (Russian and global).
3. To carry out consulting service in the field of marketing on declared subjects.

President’s Word.

We will not say anything new when mention such peculiarity of the contemporary Russian art market as keeping its isolation from participation in formation of the main stream in the development of scientific and theoretical, ideological, economic and administrative infrastructure of the world visual art market. And the matter is not the absence of artistic, organizational, intellectual and economic potentials. In our opinion, the main reason is that the art community (if you wish – the elite of art community) in Russia has not adjusted to work in conditions of postindustrial social formation. We do not take part in the formation of theoretical base and almost are not published in foreign art editions, including professional internet-magazines. We do not know the contemporary management trends in the global art market. We have not formed a system of marketing support of Russian artists: foreign rating agencies do not include even one Russian in the list of 500 best contemporary artists! And so on.

But the situation with the art market is much better. The monitoring of auction sales on the portal Artinvestment.ru is rather well-organized and has an excellent database and our Institute actively cooperates with this portal.

The priority for ArtLab is to form in a short period of time a scientific base for working-out of new programmes on the subjects connected with acquisition of management principles in the world art market. We understand that for solution of this problem it is necessary to have material which could be a foundation for the research and we decided to start with the analysis of the most famous works on the subjects we are interested in, and to adapt the practice  of  foreign art business organization to Russian conditions. In particular, we are going to conduct the research projects on the following trends:

Methods and sources of buying visual artworks, the thing which is called a “road map” in terms of international relationship. In other words – the development of the “road map” for orientation of different art market subjects: novice collectors (investors), art-dealers, artists and amateurs, who are seriously interested in art and etc. We suppose to create materials, explaining the basic terms and framework

for artwork analysis according to various parameters and describing common approaches to the accepted artwork expertise in the world art markets, the contemporary method of research work with the Internet databases, published art history materials, catalogues, art magazines and etc.

• Analysis of the global art market organization peculiarities with the description of functions of main “players”: collectors (investors), artists, dealers, auction houses, critics and art “guru”. The research of relation of the main theoretical postulates with the practice of market activity. In other words – the analysis of realities of the contemporary art market commercial aspect, its technical and structural organization, and also features of legal and ethical regulation.
• Development of recommendations on creation and organization of private art galleries activity with the foreign practice support and own historical experience.
• Economic analysis of pricing in the art market and link this function with the cultural aspects in the ideological context of the triangle: commerce – society – art.
• Analysis of art-dealers’ experience in achievement gains from the sale of visual artworks.

We hope that the visitors of ArtLab will find the placed materials useful and incentive to participate in our research projects. We hope sincerely, that your comments on ArtLab materials will serve us as landmarks for planning research activity with the purpose to develop the struggle strategy to gain the worthy position in the world market. We are sure, that rich traditions of Russian civilization in the field of arts and our common efforts will allow us to hope for success of our common efforts.

Irina Kolosova, President of the Institute of Art Business and Antiques