Contemporary art fair 1703 opens in St. Petersburg
RELEASE
Release
The first edition of St. Petersburg Art Fair 1703 opened today in the Manege Central Exhibition Hall at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022. The fair was organized by Gazprom.
Taking part in the opening ceremony were Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg.
The fair was conceived as a new yearly cultural event to support the work of Russian artists and art galleries. The first season of the project is timed to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter the Great.
The fair has three sections – Galleries, Collections, and Digital Art – showcasing the entire range of art practices: from painting to sculpture, installations and digital art. For instance, the Galleries section brings together works by contemporary artists from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other Russian cities. The Collections section displays curatorial projects featuring artworks from private collections. The Digital Art section merges art and cutting-edge technology.
In the course of the public culture and education program, visitors will be able to attend lectures and roundtables with leading art experts. The fair will be open through June 19.
“We are running many joint projects with the St. Petersburg administration. These projects are designed to promote education, culture, preservation of the historical part of our beloved city. The art fair is absolutely an extension of this ambitious work.
At the same time, the fair is a sign of respect – respect for Peter the Great as a person and for efforts towards nurturing and preserving the rich cultural and historical legacy of Russia.
And I am convinced that the people with fire in their hearts who are in charge of this fair will keep bringing the best traditions of Russian art into the future. I am convinced that the art fair will become a traditional event, taking an important, iconic place among Russia’s cultural initiatives and gaining widespread recognition,” said Alexey Miller.
Alexey Miller (center) and Alexander Beglov (right) taking part in opening ceremony of St. Petersburg Art Fair 1703
Background
Gazprom actively takes part in the preparation and holding of ceremonial events celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter I. The celebrations are taking place all around Russia.
In St. Petersburg, the Company is joining forces with Russian museums and other organizations to pursue a number of ambitious projects, for instance, the State Hermitage Museum’s new permanent exhibition named “The Peter the Great Gallery” which showcases unique objects from the era of Peter I, including personal belongings of Russia’s first emperor; the holding of the 15th International Peter the Great Congress titled “Not a Sorcerer, but a Genius… Peter the Great’s Identity during his Era”; the historical exhibition project titled “30 Paintings from the Life of Peter the Great. 2022” on the Field of Mars; the “Imperial Hall” project at the Kunstkamera that will house the “Multinational Russia” ethnography exhibition; the restoration of the painting “Peter I at Krasnaya Gorka Lighting a Fire on the Shore to Signal to his Sinking Ships” by Ivan Aivazovsky from the collection of the State Russian Museum; the monument titled “Peter the Great Saves the Drowning near Lakhta”; and a cultural research program titled “From the City to the World. The Great Embassy: Designing the Future” which is implemented as part of Gazprom’s social project Friends of St. Petersburg.
Gazprom is holding St. Petersburg Art Fair 1703 with the support from the St. Petersburg Government and the St. Petersburg Committee for Culture. The event involves well-known St. Petersburg galleries, such as the Marina Gisich Gallery, the KGallery, and the Béton Center of Visual Culture.
Official website of the fair: 1703af.ru.