Garage Museum of Contemporary Art to be nominated Museum of the Year at Cosmoscow

Date

19 FEB 2020

In fall 2020 Garage will take part in Cosmoscow international art fair as Museum of the Year, an initiative by Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art.

The founder of Cosmoscow, Margarita Pushkina, and Garage Director Anton Belov announced the nomination at a press conference.

Margarita Pushkina commented, “The fair and Cosmoscow Foundation are constantly looking for new partnerships, new collaborations, and new ways of developing the Russian contemporary art market and art scene. We believe Garage Museum of Contemporary Art to be one of Russia’s most dynamic cultural institutions and we share many values and beliefs. We are happy to announce that in 2020 Garage will be Cosmoscow’s Museum of the Year. I am very much looking forward to our collaboration with Garage.”

In 2017 Cosmoscow created its Foundation for Contemporary Art as a logical extension to the fair’s non-commercial program. Since then the Foundation has organized a number of successful projects. Some were shown during recent fairs, others facilitated the acquisition of works by contemporary artists for the collections of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, and Moscow Museum of Modern Art. 

The Foundation’s mission is to provide systemic support to Russian contemporary art, facilitate its inclusion within international culture, assist young artists, and develop art patronage in Russia. Its exhibition projects and education and art patronage initiatives have taken the Foundation’s activities to a new level, allowing it to produce systemic change. By joining forces with patrons and enthusiasts who share its mission, Cosmoscow Foundation aims to create the stability essential for a successful art market.

Throughout the year, Cosmoscow and Garage will collaborate on a number of projects. Cosmoscow Foundation will acquire three important archives for Garage Archive Collection, which is the world’s largest archive devoted to Russian contemporary art: the archive of Navicula Artis gallery in St. Petersburg; the handmade album/catalogue of Evgeny and Lev Kropivnitsky; and the archive of Andrei Chirkov (Remizov), which contains correspondence with Andrei Sinyavsky. Garage will also have a stand at Cosmoscow art fair, which takes place September 10–13. As at the 2019 fair, part of the proceeds from the sale of tickets will be donated to Garage Endowment Fund.

In 2020, Garage director Anton Belov joined Cosmoscow’s board of collectors.  He said, “Cosmoscow is a great example of how enthusiasm and believing in what you do can create significant change. Since its launch, the fair has developed a unique profile, achieved acclaim, and created a large community around itself. Every Cosmoscow fair is a big international event and I am glad that, despite the large number of international participants, the fair’s focus remains on Russian artists. The team at Garage is delighted to be designated Museum of the Year and to receive support for two fundamental elements of our program: Garage Archive Collection and Garage Endowment Fund.”

At Cosmoscow 2020, Garage will also present a bookshop, where visitors will be able to purchase exhibition catalogues and books on art, photography, fashion, design, and architecture from the world’s leading publishers, such as Thames & Hudson, Taschen, Hatje Cantz, Rizzoli, Prestel, and Phaidon. The shop will also stock books published by Garage in collaboration with Ad Marginem Press, gifts specially produced to accompany the Museum’s exhibitions, and Garage branded clothing.

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