The Manege Central Exhibition Hall in St. Petersburg is going to host a 1703 Art Fair for the first time. The fair is set between June 16 to June 19 2022, and it is organized with the support of St. Petersburg Cultural Committee. The project is designed to foster the institution of collecting in Russia and encourage local artists and art galleries. The fair is established as a new annual cultural event and its first season is timed to coincide with the celebration of the 350th anniversary since Peter I’s birth. The fair is initiated and hosted by PJSC Gazprom.
"The annual contemporary art fair in St. Petersburg is the event we have been waiting for a long time. Art fairs are an important part of urban culture; therefore, 1703 makes St. Petersburg a contemporary art center. Such an event, among other things, confirms our status as a modern cultural capital. I hope that 1703 is going to become an open space for regular meetings between artists, collectors, art critics, and young professionals. Past experience of world capitals proves that this format is exactly what the art market needs to grow rapidly. In the current circumstances, this is especially crucial — both for the participants in the creative process and for everyone who is interested in it.”
Boris Piotrovsky, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg
The 1703 Art fair is going to showcase art works from private collections and leading galleries. New names, iconic representatives of the art world, public lectures, educational program — the event will cover a wide range of contemporary art world perspectives. The exhibitional and galleries fair part of the program will be complemented by a lecture hall from the Masters school, an educational project in the field of art. For guests and participants of 1703, the Masters team has prepared a series of discussions and lectures, where leading art experts, curators and gallery owners will talk about promising young artists, future of the gallery business, secrets of collecting, and trends in digital and NFT art.
“The Gazprom Group sees systematic support of culture and art in the city as one of our priorities. Both the city and the company recognize the need to create new venues and formats for cultural exchange. 1703 Art Fair is an example of our work in this direction. By launching the project in the anniversary year of Peter the Great, we pay tribute to the visionary spirit of the founder of St. Petersburg. Thanks to him, a new point of inspiration and attraction appeared on the map of Russia. This idea is reflected in the name and the epigraph of the fair — “1703. Inspired by the city." When St. Petersburg was built, it was a point of progressive creative forces. Similarly, today the city is inviting everyone who speaks the language of art.”
Vadim Navoenko, CEO of the Gazprom Cultural Initiatives Foundation
1703 Art Fair in St. Petersburg is included in the official cultural program of SPIEF-2022.
You can purchase tickets at the box office of The Manege during the days of the fair.
Age restriction — 12+