Famous art historian and member of the Union of Journalists of Russia Alexander Lesnikov, in an exclusive interview for the magazine ModaTopical, talked about how NFT art emerged and why it is necessary to buy lithographic surrealism from the mid-20th century right now, as well as which Russian artists' paintings will triple in price over the next few years.

      How to determine the trend of price growth in contemporary art?

      Public figures and show business stars often ask me this question. Buying contemporary art can be quite a complex process for a beginner. It’s not worth doing it alone, nor should you trust an art broker. Contemporary art requires knowledge, so I recommend focusing on mid-20th century art, on those authors who are well-known. For example, on the lithographs of Salvador Dalí or Pablo Picasso. And here’s why! A painting by a young Russian artist costs about 400,000 to 600,000 rubles. With this seemingly small budget, you can buy two lithographs by Salvador Dalí signed by the maestro himself. It’s not just about getting two lots instead of one; it’s about getting two lots with good documentation, recognizable images, and, most importantly, from a well-known author.

      So, do you not recommend buying contemporary art at all?

      I recommend it, but as the next step, so that after the purchase it can be easily resold in the secondary market and earn money, rather than lose it. The ratio of promising artists at Russian contemporary art fairs to unprofitable artists is about 40 to 60.

      What should you pay attention to first?

      To the creative path of the author, to participation in international projects, supported by certificates and diplomas, not just words. Always demand documents confirming the biography of the currently living artist. The price growth primarily depends on which Russian and international art festivals the artist has participated in and who was their curator at various stages.

      And what if there are no such documents and the artist talks about financial attractiveness, investment indices, and so on?

      Don’t get into the details of professional terms; demand confirming documents of the biography, in addition to the certificate for the painting itself. Now about the invisible side of the Moon. Pay attention to how the painting is signed on the back and whether it is signed at all. The title and technique should be a priori; the year of birth of the artist speaks of quality education, of the so-called Soviet school. There are many factors, but these are the main ones. Nowadays, anyone can become an artist, even a courier from Uzbekistan. By the way, many artists from the first wave of Russian avant-garde emigrated to Uzbekistan. Therefore, the same courier, having read literature in Tashkent, coming to Moscow and earning money for oil paints, I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a great painter tomorrow.

      Why do you recommend starting your own collection with lithographs?

      Lithography for mid-20th century artists is like NFTs for contemporary artists. The latter you cannot hang on the wall. Lithography is an old printing method where the image is transferred onto paper under the pressure of stone and special acid. The method was established several centuries ago but became extremely popular among European artists of the 20th century, most of whom were somehow connected to the Russian Empire. The father of the Art Deco movement, Erté, was born in St. Petersburg under the name Roman Petrovich Tyrtov and later emigrated to Paris. Salvador Dalí, like Pablo Picasso, had Russian wives; the muse of the greatest figure of 20th-century French art, Jean Cocteau, was Natalia Paley, the granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II, and so on.

      With the help of lithography, the image from the original painting was reproduced in a limited edition, usually in the number of 75 or 150 copies worldwide. Each copy has a stamp, a signature, and is always accompanied by an international standard certificate.

      What is your opinion on NFT art?

      My favorite topic for dialogue! NFTs are digital art, conditionally, an AI video based on a painting, created and registered on a special platform. If, for example, the cost of the original painting is 1 million rubles, the cost of the NFT painting is 70,000 rubles. In practice, there was a case: at one of the Russian fairs, an artist was selling NFTs of her works. A guest who was strolling by was interested, but didn’t want to spend money, so he took a video on his phone, uploaded it to a digital frame, and gifted it to one of his friends. Later, there was a big scandal when this hit social media. Imagine that it’s the end of the 1980s, the internet has just appeared, and you are being actively asked to learn how to use it, but you don’t want to. It’s the same with NFTs; just wait.

      The industry is actively promoting metaverses and, consequently, NFTs, but it completely forgets about the metaphysical movement, the founder of which was the Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico; it is from him that the metaverses originate, not from the person who invented cryptocurrency. It was Giorgio de Chirico’s paintings that inspired Salvador Dalí. And, by the way, Giorgio de Chirico’s wife was also Russian! So the future is ours!

      Who do you recommend buying right now from Russian artists?

      Andrei Sharov. In the mid-2000s, his paintings were sold at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, with prices ranging from 15,000 to 35,000 euros; there is a lot of information about this on Wikipedia. After that, there was stagnation, but now there is growth again. At the auction, a unique graphic work by Andrei Sharov can be bought for just 200,000 rubles. In a few years, it will triple in price.