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Russians bring sculpture to Regent's Park
By Louise Jury 26.06.07
Huge: Unus Safardiar's Feeling Transparent will be displayed
Huge sculptures are to be put on display in Regent's Park this summer, thanks to a group of young, wealthy Russian artlovers.
The show will feature the work of a contemporary Russian sculptor Unus Safardiar, 39, alongside that of the British artist Sean Henry, 42. It is intended to become an annual showcase for sculptors from around the world.
Eugeny Erofeev, one of a new band of wealthy businessmen, is bankrolling the show in Queen Mary's Garden in the Inner Circle of Regent's Park.
He is a graduate of the Institute of London, where he studied photography, and has amassed a collection of more than 300 pieces of Russian art.
He also has a collection of vintage Bentleys thanks to his business activities. Mr Erofeev is working with Inna Khegay, a gallery owner in Moscow and London, and figures such as Bill McAlister, formerly of the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
A Who's Who of the new wave of wealthy Russian art patrons has been invited to a champagne opening of the show tomorrow. They include billionaire Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, 40, and his former wife Irina, Roman Trotsenko, 36, the billionaire boss of the Moscow River Shipping Company and a property and airport developer, and Mounissa
Chodieva, 30, who co-owns, with her father, a vast mining conglomerate that is expected to be listed on the London Stock Exchange next year. Western guests range from Prince Michael of Kent to Paul McCartney, who is understood to be an enthusiastic patron of Safardiar. The artist was born in Uzbekistan and graduated from the Russian Academy of Art in St Petersburg in 1993. Since then, he has been living and working in London, where he has a strong following.
The three sculptures being completed for Regent's Park have already been sold. A fourth that was due to be displayed was withdrawn after it was sold for £500,000 and the buyer refused to let it go on show.
Inna Khegay, 39, the Uzbekistan-born gallery owner and creator of the Regent's Park Art Foundation, said: "We want the park to be the centre for creative, innovative, monumental sculpture from all over the world, a centre of global excellence."
This would not be possible without the collaboration of the Royal Parks, she added. The exhibition coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the Queen Mary's Garden, which will be marked next month by a visit from the Queen. It runs until 27 November and is free.
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Unus Safardier's work "feeling transparent" looks to me almost identical to a smaller piece that has been in Goodwood Sculpture park for a good while now, by the sculptor Almuth Tebbenhoff.
- Francesca Ryan, Kingston upon Thames
