The auction of SOVCOM art gallery was conducted in “Metropole” hotel
The top lot of the auction, conducted by SOVCOM art gallery in “Metropole” hotel, became the painting by Farid Bogdalov and Sergey Kalinin “Session of the Federal Assembly”. The monumental work was estimated at $1 mln. Plenty of sketches and documentation of the project – e.g. the letter from Luzhkov’s administration with the official rejection to pose for artists – were also offered on sale. The process of the auction was observed by IRINA KULICK from “Ъ”. “Session of the Federal Assembly” by artists Bogdalov and Kalinin – is a new remake of a famous work by Ilya Repin “Sitting of the State Council”, created a century ago. Political figures of our time, all dressed in gold-embroidered tunics now appear in Repin’s mise en scene – ranging from Putin to Mikhail Khodorkovsky and from the patriarch Aleksy to Boris Berezovsky. The list of the characters (total number is 89, about 70 of which are recognizable) had been arranged through Internet voting. Despite of the classicist, Mr. Bogdalov and Mr. Kalinin were not painting the masterpiece to the state order, but on their initiative, and drew their painting from photos and not from the nature. Besides, most everyone of the “models” would hardly find any time even for photo session. At first, the project of Farid Bogdalov and Sergey Kalinin, who had started their careers in the field of modern art, was perceived as out-of-date social art, but then the authors began to present their painting as work of a new official art. Presentations of the monumental canvas (4 x 8,77 m) had been held in the Museum of Modern Art after Zurab Tsereteli, and then, right in the Kremlin. Though, the major number of “models” ignored these events, despite invitations received from the artists.
The auction with all-time high estimate of $1 mln was intended to confirm the seriousness of the history. Generally speaking, SOVCOM art gallery, which organized the auction, is specializing in social realism. Scanning the hall, full of visitors, the organizers told, that they supposed to sale picture if not for a million, but, at least, for $700.000, as though such price for “Session of the Federal Assembly” had been once offered by a native first-rate collector. Though, he changed his mind then, and told, that he did not want to see so many people in his house.
Vice-speaker of State Duma, Vladimir Zhirinovsky (by the way, one of those rare political figures, who posed for artists personally) delivered a speech in the beginning of the auction. The main idea of his speech reduced itself to the suggestion, that the painting by Bogdalov and Kalinin – would probably be a single recollection of modern political figures, which will remain on the canvas. The similar ideas were proposed by the leader of the auction as well, who was a famous musical critic Artemy Troitsky. “I have conducted only charitable auctions before, - as he frankly told “Ъ”. But here we got the picture, which is special and the fee, which is not small - $50.000” Mr. Troitsky worked off his fee in full – his performance was brilliant.
However, Artemy Troitsky has shattered all the illusions, regarding the idea, that the artists’ project created by Bogdalov and Kalinin, possesses any esthetical value. While announcing every new lot he addressed his praises to benefits of each depicted character, regardless of painting itself and the auction resembled a kind of a slave-market, where first state figures were auctioned off. The auction turned into a demonstrable rating of politicians popularity. The auctioneer has only once underlined the artistic qualities of the product – while trying to persuade the public to buy the portrait of Grigory Yavlinsky, which was sold, despite all the efforts taken by Mr. Troitsky, for lower than its starting price. Notwithstanding the words of Mr. Zhirinovsky no one was in a hurry to purchase these portraits, which possessed historical value. And the portraits of the first RF President Boris Yeltsin and former Head of the Government, now the Russian ambassador to Ukraine, Viktor Chernomyrdin, were left unsold. The pencil-drawn portrait of convict Khodorkovsky ($1500) was hardly sold. But the most expensive lot among those sold became a picturesque portrait of Vladimir Putin, which much resembled the prototype of Repin canvas – chief procurator of the Holy Synode Konstantin Pobedonostsev. The portrait was sold for lb35.000 – higher than starting price, but lower than its estimate of $45-50 000.
First (less expensive) lots have caused much more excitement – i.e. photos of some models at starting price about $200-500. The sale of pictures of Mr. Zhirinovsky was accompanied by furious struggle for the right to purchase between Mr. Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s team-mate Aleksey Mitrofanov and an unknown youth, sitting next to Zhirinovsky himself. Finally, one of the pictures was sold for $2,1 thousand – much more expensive, than many graphical portraits of less popular politicians. By way of example, the portrait of the Governor of Chukotka and the owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, was sold for just $1,9 thousands,
The more expensive and impressing became the lots, the less enthusiasm was displayed by its buyers. So, the splendid (canvas, oil) gala portraits of Yury Luzhkov, Gennady Seleznyov (a sole communist offered for the auction, even a former communist, as noted Mr. Troitsky), and the portrait of Vladimir Zhirinovsky as well, were withdrawn from the auction. During that moment Mr. Zhirinovsky and his party fellows had already left the auction.
When it came to the top-lot, none of the number-plates were raised. The auctioneer even tried to reduce the notorious seven-digit price. The picture was withdrawn from the auction. The next lot “the legend” – the signed location scheme of the characters (canvas, whitewash, acryl, 200 x 400) was finally sold for $4,5 thousand, as well as several “joint products”. But no one expressed the wish to buy the exhaustive, as artists said, portrait of present authorities. On the other hand, Mr. Bogdalov and Mr. Kalinin can still consider themselves as modern independent artists, and not as self-acclaimed court portraitists.
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