"It was not surprising to us that Madonna liked the work of Olya Austreich"

Singer Madonna faced a haunt on social media from users from Ukraine because of a photo in a hat with earflaps with Soviet symbols. In this image, she appeared at a creative festival in the UK, where, among others, she visited an exhibition of Russian artists. Moreover, the queen of pop music became the owner of paintings by Olya Austreich. The singer liked two small works by the author. Alexander Blanar, its director, told Izvestia about how the meeting with the legend took place and how the Serene Gallery, which represents the Russian artist, continues its international work in the current conditions.

— Singer Madonna became the owner of the works of the Russian artist Olya Austreich, who is represented by the Serene Gallery. How did it happen?

— Madonna is a long-time fan of the work of the great artist Tracey Emin. And Olya Austreich is currently studying at her residence in Margate in the UK. Many important people from the cultural world come there, mostly big collectors, curators and gallery owners. And Madonna came to visit this residence and the Off Season festival, which is taking place in Margate. There are many different exhibitions there, including Rooms by Olya Austreich and Elizaveta Zalieva. Tracey Emin brought Madonna there, and also showed the workshops of all the artists who are currently studying with her.

— What kind of work is this? Did the singer get them as a gift or did she get the paintings?

— Madonna really liked the two small works by Olya Austreich that she wanted to buy. But Olya decided to give them as a sign of respect. Since the beginning of her career, Olya has a pool of collectors who love her work very much and follow new works, so it was not surprising for us that Madonna liked Olya's work, as she is a very strong artist.

— How does the gallery manage to build international cooperation in the current conditions? And how does the foreign public react to the work of Russian authors?

— We, the Serene Gallery, represent Olga Austreich in Russia and abroad. In 2024, we organized her solo exhibition in Lugano (Switzerland), where we have a second gallery space.

In fact, many people respond positively to good art, it doesn't matter to them whether it's Russian or not. We are currently hosting an exhibition by Misha Nikatin in Lugano, and it is also well received by the local public. It is very important for us to show talented Russian artists abroad, this is one of the gallery's goals.