Elizaveta Frolova about art business in Russia and the association of art professionals

Elizaveta Frolova, founder of Synergy Art Academy, Art Russia fair, art critic and curator, in an interview for TheStatusSymbol.com spoke about the state of the Russian art community, shared her experience of creating large-scale art projects and gave advice on networking.

Tell us about the preparation of the forum Synergy "Compaction russian Online” and selection of speakers.

Synergy is my long-time partner. Technically it was easy for us to prepare. We have experience in such high-profile projects as, for example, Synergy art forum (Manege, 2018). As for the speakers, these are my personal acquaintances. We put the project together in 2 weeks.

Does Synergy plan to hold similar educational events offline?

Certainly. In February of this year we held the Art Russia art fair in Manege. In 2018 we held a Synergy art forum. Now for Art Russia Online we have combined an art fair and an educational project, providing an opportunity for artists, gallerists to exhibit, and to meet art critics and collectors. At the same time, we organized a large-scale art forum. We had 3 days and 2 parallel scenes. One of them was dedicated to art business as a continuation of our Synergy art academy project, where art critics, PR people, and art professionals share their experience. We have now started selecting applications for Art Russia in February 2021.

You have expressed the idea several times that the Russian art community is closed and has difficulty accepting new ideas and new people. What is the reason for this in your opinion?

The other day we discussed this topic with one of the major collectors from France. He told me that the situation is not unique. Around the world, the art community is having a hard time accepting new people and new events. The same “squabble” exists everywhere. We are no exception here. In my opinion, this problem is due to the fact that the target audience is very narrow, the product is not the simplest. When someone realizes themselves in this area, others have a feeling of fear that arises instead of uniting and working together. Art Basel brings together different projects and people. I have always advocated for uniting, creating large-scale projects and involving the international community. Foreign curators and gallery owners do not come to us en masse, five times a year. Disunity is worse for all art market professionals. But until I was heard...

Do you have a fear of competition?

No, I'm good at competition. I never tried to fight. On the contrary, a year before Art Russia, which we held in February, we were negotiating with other art projects on the topic of unification. When we realized that other projects categorically did not want to unite, then we decided to create our own art event. Thus, we decided to move the art market on our own. I believe that competition is good, but it should not turn into war. People must unite.

When I had an art blog many years ago, I saw how difficult it was for bloggers to communicate, especially for those with similar projects. I have always believed that, for example, when I attract new people to my art courses, then the public will come to my competitors, to everyone, to immerse themselves in this topic. We all work together to promote art into society. We need to work together, do large-scale projects together, while simultaneously developing ourselves.

What helps you achieve your goals and what inspires you?

I am inspired by family and art. And for those who want to immerse themselves in art: there are now a lot of books on art.

After Art Russia in May, I made new acquaintances, new ideas, and I gave up rest for work. We are currently preparing another project.

What advice would you give to a young person with a basic education in art who intends to pursue a career in the art business?

Try to build networking. Without connections and acquaintances, even with serious knowledge it will be difficult for you. In order to be “accepted” into the art community, you must, firstly, have knowledge, and secondly, you must be in contact with people, they must know you. You need to implement projects to prove to people your experience and the need to stay in touch with you.

In the West there is now a lot of talk about the dominance of men in business, especially in the art business. And you are a woman leader. What is the situation with gender division in Russia?

Almost equal. There are many more women among the founders of art fairs. Among the artists there are, of course, more iconic male names. It is still difficult for women to break through. There were a large number of female artists at the Art Russia fair. When selecting, we were not guided by gender criteria; we studied only the works presented by the jury. Buyer demand was not focused on the artist's gender. I believe that in Russia there is not such a serious confrontation, since we have many women who do art projects, many female gallery owners, many modern and successful artists.

Educational forum Art Russia Online will take place on July 4, 2020, bringing together Russian and international art market professionals. The main topics include counterfeit art, promotion of artists and new trends in the art business.