Commercial art galleries as canon-makers: the Moscow art scene in the early 1990s

ABSTRACT This article explores the emergence of private art galleries in Moscow in the early 1990s. It argues that instead of being driven by commercial objectives, these institutions took on the functions of the still-absent museums of contemporary art. It was the galleries of the early 1990s that were responsible for commissioning and preserving works, supporting artists and creating public awareness of the latest trends in young Russian art. They were ready to take the risk of showing unorthodox and radical artistic practices which were often not even offered for sale. This article discusses the role of the first private galleries in developing the infrastructure for contemporary Russian art.