The Indian Touch at the 13th COSMOSCOW Art Fair
- Elena Rubinova
- Sep 29
- 7 min read
By Elena Rubinova
Indian contemporary art makes a splash at the 13th Cosmoscow Art Fair
Russian collectors discover the vibrant world of Indian contemporary art
Cosmoscow, Russia’s only premier international art fair established in 2010, wrapped up its thirteenth edition, attracting 55,000 visitors. Held annually in Moscow, it serves as a dynamic platform connecting galleries, collectors, artists, and art enthusiasts from Russia, Europe, Asia, and beyond. For four days the spacious Timiryzev Convention Center in the north-west of the Russian capital hosted 100 galleries and 20 non-commercial projects transforming the space into buzzing intersections of creativity. This year’s edition shifted its international focus to Eurasia. Especially for Cosmoscow, Indian art collectors Ekaterina and Andrey Terebenin presented their selection of works by contemporary Indian artists and designers from three leading Indian galleries as a special COLLECTORS project.
Admirers of traditional Indian culture –and there is no lack of them here in Russia – have long enjoyed a rich array of options, including music concerts, classical dance performances, theatrical productions, and Bollywood films. Noteworthy among these is the annual India Day celebration in Moscow, a flagship event that enthusiastically promotes Bharat’s profound cultural heritage. However, Indian contemporary art, which has experienced an extraordinary surge in global recognition and demand, remained largely absent from Russia’s cultural landscape, and the art market in particular. The special project ‘How the Spirit Becomes Matter’ at the Cosmoscow Fair seeks to bridge this crucial gap.
The tectonic plates of the art world are constantly shifting as regions and countries gain or lose market power. In times of turmoil this is particularly visible. Indian galleries and artists are now a driving force in prestigious international fairs and biennials – from London Frieze and Venice Biennial to Art Dubai and Hong Kong. According to international online art broker Artsy, the demand for Indian artists increased more than for any other nationality in 2024. But not only do commercial factors matter, but behind this process are always people who love the arts.
The project ‘How the Spirit Becomes Matter’ was initiated by Ekaterina and Andrey Terebenin, art collectors and philanthropists who resided in India for seven years and started their collection of Indian traditional textiles and contemporary art at that time. (https://indian-art.ru) Andrey and Ekaterina’s enthusiasm stemmed from their enchantment with a dynamic civilization offering endless, layered discoveries. Commuting between the two countries, they had the opportunity to unfold their projects, “in a very organic manner, embracing diversity and expansion”, as Ekaterina puts it. “We are committed to ensuring our collection is “alive” and actively experienced, rather than simply stored away. Since we cannot store all our artworks and textiles ourselves, we are delighted to share them with audiences, experts, and the art community”, she continued.
They first exhibited their collection at the museums in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod and participated in a couple of art festivals. In 2024, they collaborated with the Myth gallery in St. Petersburg to jointly present Russian artist Ulyana Podkorytova and Indian artist Neha Lavingia. Embarking on a new stage of their collecting journey, they conceived the idea of participating in the art fair.
Speaking to artamour, Ekaterina Terebenina says, “Cosmoscow is an excellent format for showcasing Indian contemporary art. Our goal is to introduce art connoisseurs in Russia to contemporary Indian art, and more broadly, to the boundless culture of India. It is difficult to remain indifferent to it, which was very evident in the reaction of Russian viewers to the exhibitions of our collection. We hope that visitors to Cosmoscow will also feel the depth and energy of Indian art.’
To be honest, there could not be a better moment to introduce art lovers to Indian contemporary art. The Russian audience and the key players in the art market are accustomed to the fair’s diverse and high-caliber offerings from various countries. But in the context of current sanctions and the extent of art market isolation, the audience is clearly more than open and hungry for new artistic explorations. Besides India there were galleries from Iran, Brazil, Thailand, Kazakhstan and China. The Indian stand proved to be a refreshing experience, resonating with the general public, art professionals and top intellectuals alike.
Vitaly, a 38-year-old construction manager from Moscow, came to the fair with
his interior designer wife and found the Indian stand by chance.
“Works on the display really impressed us. Each piece her has a certain charm about it. In our understanding Indian art is always bright or sometimes even too loud, but this refined watercolor came as a surprise. This small piece is absolutely amazing, as if it is a natural feather. Or, for instance, that indigo black textile looks quite traditional, but it’s interactive and once you touch it, you hear birds singing and other sounds of nature.”
He was hardly the only one mesmerized by the e-textiles, an innovative product by Anuvad studio and Mango Craft & Design. ”When selecting works for Cosmoscow, we were aiming to present the most compelling trends in Indian contemporary art, in our view, of course. One of them is an interplay of traditional art and crafts with radical intellectual and technological solutions,” Ekaterina explains. This collaboration product fuses craft and technology inviting the viewer to reimagine the possibilities of textile art. It didn’t take too long for the viewers to appreciate the immersive experience: when showing the guests around Ekaterina mentioned that one of the textile pieces was sold in the first half an hour of the preview.
The Terebenins’ confirmed they encountered no obstacles in selecting galleries and artists. India has a lot to offer. The exposition of the stand with two galleries and one project from a design studio was built around the theme of the relationship between the artist and the material employed. Tunty Chauhan, the founder of the Threshold gallery from New Delhi that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary co-curated the project with the Terebenins. The gallery brought to Moscow works by Rahul Inamdar and Niyeti Chadha.
The decision making was fast. It is not just a figure of speech. Rahul's solo show “The Weight of Light” finished at the Threshold gallery in the very end of August and the works travelled to Moscow right after. “These works are driven by my intuitive need for space and unity”, - the artist claims speaking about his inspiration. His unique creative style with silk as a medium made with oil and casein has earned him a spot among notable Indian artists. Now among the Russian collectors too.
“Some of the works have really been a revelation to me, they very interesting in technique “, says Arina Balantseva, artist and book designer. “We are used to see bright colors in Indian art that sometimes demonstrate incompatible combinations of hues, but the works on the display today are really notable for their refined, monochromatic colour palette. It would not be an exaggeration to call them minimalist.”
She also emphasized that as a designer she always admired the way Indian artists and craftsmen work with material they use, whatever that may be – natural pigments and gold, wood, silk, and handmade paper.
The Espace gallery brought works by Paula Sengupta who incorporates a variety of textiles and traditions that are central to the history of South Asian and Bengali craft, and Waswo X. Waswo, a fine art photographer of American descent based in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He is widely known for his collaborative hand-painted photographs that recreate scenes of colonial India with wit and nuance. His contemporary miniatures from the recent “The Mother Earth” series employ gold and gouache on Wasli paper, making them much more Indian looking but very conceptual in spirit.
Alexander Ivanov, the publisher of Ad Marginem Press and one of Russia’s top intellectuals, shared his impressions with artamour’s Moscow correspondent: “The art of discerning these subtle variations—in textures, hues, and the smallest figural components—this intricate web of differences is exceptionally attractive in Indian art. And the fact that Andrey managed to reveal this is paramount. Nietzsche stated in Thus Spake Zarathustra that ”all great things come to us on dove’s feet,” implying that what is most significant arrives subtly, unseen, and touches us indirectly rather than overtly. I greatly admire what the Terebenins are doing and hope it represents an initial step toward greater exposure to Indian art in our country”
This aspiration appears well-founded. Indian art is gaining visibility in Russia with various institutional exhibitions planned for this year and the next. Notably, at Cosmoscow, works by Neha Lavingia, also exhibited by the Threshold Gallery, proved exceptionally popular, with one piece selling for 1.4 million rubles (16,000 US dollars). However, for the Terebenins, this is a philanthropic project, ensuring all funds from Cosmoscow sales directly benefit the artists.
Since 2020 Cosmoscow is being held in a ‘hybrid format’: in addition to the main live event, the fair is available online via the platform TEO, the largest online marketplace for contemporary art in Russia, appealing to the young audience and capitalizing on an influx of new collectors. The online version of the fair will be open to a wide audience until September 30.
(All images and videos and the websites cited are courtesy of the author and Cosmoscow Press Office.)
Elena Rubinova is a Moscow-based art journalist working across media, professional philologist, teacher, and translator. She started her career as an English language teacher before joining ABC News as a translator and producer. She has produced documentaries for BBC, National Geographic, Arte, Discovery Channel to name a few, including the three-part series The Art of Russia (BBC2, 2009). She has been a regular contributing writer for Russian magazines and on-line media such as ArtandYou, Artguide, Dialogue of Arts, International Life, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia Profile, Passport Moscow.
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