The Art Russia Contemporary Art Fair summed up the results of the seventh edition

The exhibitors of the fair in 2026 were more than 100 independent artists and galleries from 13 regions of Russia and more than 10 foreign countries, which were curated by two thousand applications. Among them are established masters and new promising authors. The project was founded by Vadim Lobov, President of the Synergy Corporation, and Elizaveta Frolova, an art critic. The seventh edition of the fair was supported by the Aeroplane Group, Natura Siberica, the Inspiration brand and Artinza.

During the four days of the fair in Gostiny Dvor — from April 2 to April 5 — it was visited by more than 60 thousand people. In total, 3 thousand art objects were sold, the average check was 500 thousand rubles. The preview of the fair was attended by stars, collectors, artists, representatives of business and government. Among the guests are Philip Kirkorov, Pavel Volya and Laysan Utyasheva, Sergey Zhukov, Timati, Sergey Burunov, IOWA, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Julianna Karaulova, Alexander Rappoport, Arkady Novikov, Elena Pinskaya and others.

The stand of the year, according to the curator's choice, was presented by sculptor Sergey Sudakov. In the Swimmers series, the author showed body plastic not from "refined" neoclassicism, but directly from nature. Laconic figures compositionally gravitate towards the installation, turning the space into a part of the artistic material.

An international program with the participation of ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions took place within the framework of the special project "Cultural Diplomacy". The aim of the project is to strengthen cultural exchange between the countries. Among the foreign delegations were representatives of more than 16 countries — Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Qatar, Turkey, Mexico and others.

The business program of the fair was held in an updated format and was divided into sections in separate areas: contemporary art, cinema, dance, photography, architecture, literature, music, design and theater.

Also, each block has a co—organizer - a specialized institute or an industry leader. Among them are the Office of Creative Economics (OKE), the Nature Photo Team community of nature photographers, the Faculty of Design and Advertising at Synergy University, Marie Claire Maison magazine, Creative Writing Workshops at Creative Writing School, the Grand Bureau Dramedy Theater and the mader nort creative association.

During the business program, a cooperation agreement was signed between MGLU and the All-Russian Research Institute of Labor, which is aimed at working together in the field of staffing creative industries.

100 works by curated young authors were presented on the children's territory. More than 1,000 people attended master classes led by experienced mentors, including 3D modeling, animation, ceramics, modeling, and more.

The Artinza brand has become the official partner of the children's territory. As part of the creative program, the guests painted on canvases, painted shoppers, key chains and kokoshniks with branded markers.

The main collaborations of the season

Natura Siberica has opened a large-scale installation portal made of natural materials. The company has rethought art and beauty, turning a single space into a meeting place between man and nature. The brand's installation explored the idea of duality: nature as a force and as a source of life, man as a part of this system.

The stand of the Airplane group was built around a feeling of coziness, warmth and tactile comfort — a space in which you want to stay. Among the details of the image are knitted canvases on the walls, balls of yarn, knitted pillows, a carpet and a tufting area, where craftsmen created a unique carpet panel in real time.

The Inspiration brand has introduced a new positioning in collaboration with the artist Anastasia Savenko, whose works are dedicated to the versatility of female images. In the center of the stand is an installation of mirrors of various shapes, where the reflection has become a metaphor for the depth and uniqueness of each woman. Thus, a single image was born — woven from a multitude of voices, reflections and personal stories, uniting women in their uniqueness and inner strength.

The internationally renowned neo-expressionist artist Innokenty Baranov devoted his entire exhibition, presented at the current fair, to the Kitovy Bereg tourist project, the only year-round Arctic hotel in the Russian Arctic.

The project "Portraits of cities and countries" was presented at the stand of Alina Sanko x Art Masters. Through architectural symbols and recognizable city codes, the artist has created a multi-layered and vibrant image of the country. The idea of the "portrait" was continued by the interactive zone of ArtMasters, the largest creative competence championship in Russia. The digital installation "faces of the industry", those who create modern creative culture, was shown on the big screen.

As part of the collaboration with HELLO! Unique art objects were created at the fair. The star guests painted five sculptures with Artinza markers, the proceeds from the sale of which will be sent to the charity foundation "Life as a Miracle".

The alcoholic partner of the social evening was the Aristov brand, which traditionally supports significant events in the field of art. By creating the Aristov line, the winery looked at the culture of oenology as the art of enjoying life in its entirety.

Especially for the fair together with BURO. An art newspaper was published, which could be found at the publication's booth.