«The curator is the connection point for all market participants»

Advertising & PR students in the ‘Culture & Communications’ track visited an exhibition called ‘The Andromeda Nebula. Religions of Extraterrestrial Salvation’. It takes place in the ‘InArt Gallery by Ksenia Podoynitsyna’ space at Vinzavod. Maria Nam, manager and curator, shared some details about the subjects of the art market, the role of the curator, and the concept of the exhibition.

Maria gave a lecture about the core actors of the art market. First of all, it is artists around whom the business is built. Reputational support comes from cultural institutions such as museums and biennales, and material support comes from galleries, fairs, and art dealers. There are also collectors, professional media, analytical agencies, and other services for those who work in the art industry. 

Maria put great emphasis on curatorial work, which was described as “forming your own statements from artists' creations”. According to Maria, a curator must "know everything about everything" which means having a clear understanding of the cultural, political and social context. "The curator is the connection point for all market participants", says Maria Nam.

About the exhibition

According to Maria Nam, the gallery team decided to hold an open-call in honor of the Cosmonautics Day. Thus, more than 300 applications were received, and dozens of works became part of the exhibition. The idea itself revolves around a philosopher whose reflections on the situation in the world lead him to the decision to send mankind into space for safety reasons. The whole exposition is based on the concept of "mythological thinking" which states that in critical situations, humans can create a comfortable reality for themselves, where any idea can become a fact, and anything can create a cause-and-effect relationship. 

At the end of the lecture students were able to ask questions and learn about the internship and practice possibilities in the gallery.

Article written by Maria Panova, a HSE student in the Advertising and Public Relations program.