The historical traditions and experience of the 20th century convincingly confirm the fact that art can be put at the service of politics. Literary and artistic works, theatrical productions and pop songs easily become a means of expressing a certain idea. Properly prepared and timely presented to the public, the opening day is able to change the mood of some part of the public. Marat Gelman positions himself as a collector of paintings and an art manager. He is good at arranging exhibitions of controversial paintings. Create scandalous situations as an occasion to attract attention to your own person.
Connoisseur of contemporary art
At a certain stage of historical development, Soviet engineers made a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of the country. It so happened that at the end of the era of socialism, Marat Gelman entered the ranks of the technical intelligentsia. In the biography of this man, it is dryly noted that the child was born on December 24, 1960 in the family of the writer Alexander Gelman. The boy’s parents lived in Chisinau. From a young age, he saw and knew how Soviet cultural workers lived, what interests and values they had.
At school, Marat studied well. Having received a certificate of maturity, he went to Moscow and without any proteges became a student at the Electrotechnical Institute of Communications. It is no secret that the student has many desires, but little money. It is important to note that Gelman often moonlighted as stage workers in the capital’s theaters. In 1983 he received a diploma of higher education and returned to his homeland. For several years he worked as a meager at the Chisinau TV factory. Then he headed the Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of Youth.
At the end of the 80s, he became interested in collecting paintings by contemporary artists. Young talents created genuine masterpieces, but official art critics tried not to notice them. Gelman was one of the first to notice this social injustice. I noticed and acquired several paintings for my first collection. With this acquisition, in fact, the career of a collector and gallery owner began. In the Soviet Union, despite significant "concessions, " this kind of activity was evaluated skeptically.
The first professional exhibition under the motto "South Russian Spring" was organized only in 1992. This landmark event attracted the attention of foreign experts. Someone made a short film about the opening day. The capabilities of the collector and dealer expanded significantly after moving to Moscow. Intensive work began after the opening of the private "Marat Gelman Gallery". Here, the attention of connoisseurs presented the works of cult and aspiring artists. In parallel with the organization of exhibitions, Gelman begins to participate in political events.
