DEMONSTRATIVE PERFORMANCE

“The prices of contemporary art are as absurd as the banking crisis,” German abstract artist Gerhard Richter said on October 4 at a press conference to mark the opening of his exhibition at London's Tate Modern. Richter is one of the highest paid living artists. In recent years, several of his works have been sold, each of which cost more than $10 million. Richter’s painting from the “Candle” cycle was sold for $15 million, which became a price record for his work. So the artist’s statement sounded a little hypocritical. This can be attributed to his advanced age (Richter was born in 1932) and the fatigue accumulated over many years of his career. Moreover, when asked by journalists “What has changed in recent years on the art market?” he answered just as categorically: “He has become worse.” Despite his aversion to the current situation, the artist participates in major international projects: his work is included in the main project of the 4th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art under the direction of curator Peter Weibel. The retrospective at Tate Modern, Gerhard Richter: Panorama, opened on October 6. This is one of his largest exhibitions, and, presumably, it is paid accordingly. When cutting the ribbon of the finished exhibition, the future hero of the day can allow himself to joke about how prices for art have increased since the 2008 crisis. Perhaps he is simply preparing for a new crisis.

Magazine "Kommersant Vlast" No. 40 dated 10.10.2011, p. 48

Self-criticism is the key to capital