What to see in Moscow? Art spaces, galleries and exhibition halls. Part 2.

Contemporary art is actively developing in Moscow, and in 2025 it is becoming an increasingly visible part of city life. The capital is home to many contemporary art spaces, clusters, galleries and exhibition halls. We have compiled a list of places you should definitely visit if you are interested in the new names of Russia's contemporary art market.

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art

Photo: winzavod.ru

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art is the first and largest private center for contemporary art in Russia, bringing together galleries, educational programs, studios, workshops and showrooms. Here a wide audience can access all areas of contemporary culture and support Russian art.

FINEART Gallery

One of Moscow's oldest galleries has been operating since 1992 — during this time about three hundred exhibitions have been held. The gallery preserves the creative legacy of senior-generation artists and discovers young talents. The list of artists the gallery has worked with includes over a hundred names, among them Eduard Gorokhovsky, Igor Vulokh and Igor Shelkovsky.

Ovcharenko Gallery

Photo: ovcharenko.art

Vladimir Ovcharenko is a promoter of post-Perestroika Russian art; he opened a private gallery in 1990. The gallery at Winzavod collaborates with artists whose works are in demand in Russia and abroad: Oleg Kulik, Pavel Pepperstein, Ivan Chuikov. The careers of many artists began here: in the early 2000s Ovcharenko introduced photographer and artist Sergey Bratkov to the wider public.

a—s—t—r—a Gallery

The a—s—t—r—a Gallery, conceived as an entry point for beginning collectors, operated as an online platform and a service for acquiring accessible art throughout 2018, and by late 2019 it was already representing Russian artists at the SCOPE fair as part of Art Basel, Miami. In March 2020 it became the first Russian gallery to take part in the Spring/Break Art Show in New York within the Armory Show framework, and in August 2020 it was the only gallery from Russia participating in Enter Art Fair in Copenhagen, Denmark.

BIS ART GALLERY

Photo: bisartgallery.art

BIS ART GALLERY is a contemporary art gallery that has existed since 1992. The gallery represents both mature, established artists and young ones actively developing their creative potential.

pop/off/art Gallery

pop/off/art gallery is one of the leading contemporary art galleries in the CIS, representing Russian and foreign artists. The gallery focuses on authors from the post-Soviet space, Eastern and Central Europe. It ranks among the top 5 Russian galleries (according to Forbes) and the top 500 galleries worldwide (according to Blouin Artinfo).

Triumph Gallery

Photo: triumph.gallery

The Triumph contemporary art gallery, exhibiting both young Russian art and the mastodons of the art world, was founded by collector Emelyan Zakharov and art dealer Dmitry Khankin in 2006. Notable Russian artists exhibited here include the AES+F collective, Alexander Brodsky, Alexander Vinogradov, Pavel Otdelnov and Vladimir Dubossarsky. The gallery supports young art, presents solo and group exhibitions, collaborations and research initiatives. Priority is given to interdisciplinary projects across genres and techniques: from classical painting to installation.

Ruarts – foundation and gallery of contemporary art

Photo: ruarts.gallery

In December 2019 the gallery celebrated 15 years of existence. It is located in central Moscow and occupies over 800 sq. m. Over 15 years more than 100 exhibitions were held, featuring both well-known masters and young artists. The gallery works with authors such as Sergey Anufriev, Dmitry Aske, Vita Buivid, Alexander Zakharov, Alexey Luka, Marat Morik, Ivan Nainty, Mikhail Rozanov, Dmitry Tsvetkov, Nobuyoshi Araki, Kimiko Yoshida, Riccardo Murelli and Spencer Tunick. The gallery actively collaborates with participants of the Russian 'street movement'.

XL Gallery

One of the authoritative galleries of contemporary Russian art. The gallery collaborates with Andrei Monastyrsky, Igor Makarevich, Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Viktor Pivovarov, Irina Korina, the ZIP group, Alexander Povzner, Ekaterina Muromtseva, Ilya Dolgov and many others.

Triangle Gallery

Triangle Gallery represents young promising artists and mid-career creators. The exhibition program covers a wide range of genres and art forms, from painting and drawing to photography, video and street art, including cross-disciplinary projects. The gallery serves as a platform specializing in discovering and promoting new names both in Russia and internationally in the contemporary art arena.

11.12 GALLERY

Photo: winzavod.ru

The 11.12 GALLERY contemporary art gallery is located on the grounds of the Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art, one of Moscow’s earliest art clusters; it moved there a few years after its founding in 2005. For a short time it also had a branch in Singapore.

Yolka Art Gallery

Photo: afisha.ru

The gallery houses works by more than 100 talented artists from across Russia. Temporary exhibitions and a permanent exposition of contemporary artists with explanations by an art historian take place every month. You can also try Ethiopian coffee, croissants, fruit cocktails, hot chocolate and choose a frame for a painting here.

Art Gallery K35

Photo: k35gallery.art

The gallery's main activity is hosting exhibitions of 20th-century world and Russian art and contemporary artists. Educational events are held on the gallery's premises (meetings with artists, round tables with curators, art film screenings, master classes).

Khodynka Gallery

Here visitors can get acquainted with advanced contemporary art, both domestic and foreign. The exhibition projects cover various genres and styles of contemporary art, including new media, sound art, video art, science-art and experimental theatre.

AZ Museum

Photo: arthive.com

The AZ Museum is dedicated to the Russian artist Anatoly Zverev (1931–1986), who held an important place in Moscow's art life in the second half of the 20th century. The museum was founded in 2013 by collector and philanthropist Natalia Opaleva and art curator Polina Lobachevskaya, and opened in May 2015. The core of the AZ Museum's collection came from Natalia Opaleva's personal collection and includes more than 700 works by Zverev, archives and artifacts donated to the museum by Aliki Kostaki. Currently the museum's holdings include over 1,500 works by Anatoly Zverev and more than 500 works by nonconformist artists.

ART Korobka Arts Center

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ART Korobka Arts Center at the Riviera shopping center in 2018 earned the right to be considered one of the best contemporary exhibition halls in Moscow. It has an area of 800 square meters and is equipped with modern technology, and thanks to the mall infrastructure it can host cultural events and exhibitions of international level. You can see painting, graphics, sculpture, artist dolls, photography, installations and performances here, as well as hold master classes, lectures, concerts and conferences.

Elohovskiy Gallery

Photo: elohovskiy.gallery

Elohovskiy Gallery is a cultural-exhibition and educational space in a late 19th-century mansion located in one of the city's most beautiful neighborhoods that preserved the historic appearance of old merchant Moscow. The gallery hosts exhibitions of contemporary and classical art, lectures on various topics, and fosters a community of thoughtful people.

Elena Gromova Gallery

A contemporary art space with unique collections of sculpture, art dolls and painting. The gallery's halls display museum-level works. You can see collections not only by Russian but also European, American and Canadian artists. Today Elena Gromova Gallery presents carefully selected works and introduces new names in art to the Russian public.

Askeri Gallery

The gallery of top model, journalist and experienced collector Polina Askeri collaborates with thirteen different artists from Russia, France, Italy, South Korea and the USA and regularly exhibits their works regionally and abroad. ASKERI GALLERY regularly opens new exhibitions, actively implements projects at partner venues including state museums and private organizations, and presents its artists at international contemporary art fairs.

Omelchenko Gallery

Among the artists represented by Omelchenko Gallery are renowned masters such as Oleg Prokofiev, Bella Levikova, Yulia Malinina, Vitaly Kopachyov, Natalia Tolstaya, Elena Surovtseva, Vladimir Opara and others. The gallery also supports young artists. It has organized several group and international projects of young artists, for example, an exhibition of IPSI students and the international research project 'Going native.'

Cube.Moscow Art Platform

On the minus-second floor of the Carlton hotel, the art platform's space simultaneously hosts about a dozen diverse exhibitions. Fifteen galleries are located under one roof, which means that in one visit you can view — and even buy — Kirill Kto's ironic graphics, Valery Chtak's paintings, and Brisko's whimsical sculptures.

ARTSTORY Contemporary Art Gallery

The gallery's founders, Lusine Petrosyan and Mikhail Openheim, offer visitors the chance to view new works by artists as well as works from museum and private collections. Exhibitions present works by Russian and foreign artists across various genres and techniques, as well as works from different eras. In addition, the gallery holds lectures, master classes, children's classes, creative meetings and film lectures. The Artstory collection includes works by Mikhail Shvartsman, Nikolay Sitnikov, Anatoly Zverev, Leonid Purygin, Oskar Rabin, Oleg Tselkov, Moisey Feigin, Natalia Nesterova and other artists reflecting the complex phenomenon of the 'Russian avant-garde'.

Art-Boulevard Gallery

Photo: tripadvisor.ru

The gallery has carried out over 40 solo and group art projects, and exhibitions at the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Central House of Artists, the M.P. Kroshitsky Art Museum and others. The art space presents antique painting and graphics, antiques, old maps, Soviet-period works, Soviet posters, editioned graphics by world-famous artists, contemporary art and collectible books.

Artefact Gallery

Photo: vk.com/artefactgallery

Up to 10 exhibitions a year are held here, as well as solo shows by young artists, charity auctions, thematic round tables and other cultural programs. The basis for creating the gallery's collection and fund was the founder M. Rudyak's collection. One part of the gallery houses a permanent exhibition of Soviet realist painting. The gallery displays more than a hundred museum-level exhibits of Russian, Western European and Eastern art.

Vadim Sidur Museum

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The exhibition prepared by the museum in collaboration with artist Anna Titova represents an intersection of different levels of artistic and social reality: from an analysis of forms and materials in Sidur's work to a re-examination of the museum's role and the public's potential in producing historical memory.

Solntsevo Gallery

Solntsevo Gallery is one of the venues of the Moscow State Union of Exhibition Halls, developing as a multidisciplinary place for creative and social activity of the Solntsevo district residents. Its main focus is exhibition activity. The gallery offers varied programs: master classes, workshops, lectures, tours, film screenings and performances.

Davydkovo Gallery

Davydkovo Gallery is an interactive art space where artists and audiences can communicate and creatively realize their ideas. The gallery hosts contemporary art exhibitions, film screenings, performances, festivals, concerts and master classes. The exhibition space is transformed monthly, inviting visitors into a unique atmosphere. You can find everything from traditional painting and sculpture to original video art and installations here.

Sistema Gallery

SISTEMA GALLERY is a major project in the field of contemporary art supported by the Russian investment company AFK Sistema. The gallery presents artists' projects in two buildings with exhibition spaces of 150 sq.m and 250 sq.m. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery runs educational and research projects, holds lectures, master classes and other public programs.

Moscow State Art Gallery of Vasily Nesterenko

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People's Artist of Russia Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko is among the outstanding figures of contemporary Russian art. His work is talented and multifaceted. He is a high-class professional, an artist with his own inner world, creative face and style. He is equally adept at multi-figure historical canvases and thematic still lifes, multi-meter murals and small watercolors, psychological portraits and lyrical landscapes.

Vykhino Gallery-Workshop

Photo: kudamoscow.ru

The gallery envisages three main areas of activity. The art workshop is a platform for presenting the work of artists, designers and architects to the public. The art laboratory provides opportunities for professionals and residents of the south-eastern part of Moscow to engage in experimental socio-cultural and artistic projects.

Pechatniki Gallery

Exhibitions by Russian artists are held here, and other activities are offered: an art workshop, an art laboratory and cultural and artistic research of the Vykhino and Pechatniki districts. The art workshop presents works by artists, designers and architects. The art laboratory offers experimental sociocultural and artistic projects and allows visitors to get acquainted with various artistic forms of the contemporary art process.

Bogorodskoye Gallery

In 1989 the 'Bogorodskoye' Exhibition Hall was opened; for many years it hosted exhibitions, educational events and lectures by invited well-known Moscow museums. Exhibition projects reflected current processes in the cultural life of the city and district, and also explored the homeland of many well-known Moscow street artists.

Nadezhda Brykina Gallery

Photo: theartnewspaper.ru

The gallery presents nonconformists who did not join the ruling party, socialist realism, or underground political movements, but simply continued to seek their own path in art. Nadezhda Brykina has been publishing monographs, artists' books and exhibition catalogs in several languages since 1996. In addition, the gallery produces documentary films and photo sessions that provide insight into the artistic world of selected artists, and holds cultural events including concerts and readings.

Rostokino Gallery

Since 2022 Rostokino Gallery has been a place where young artists, students and graduates of art universities can show themselves and gain first exhibition experience. The gallery's mission is to introduce visitors to new names, young curators and to attract leading educational institutions to collaborate.

Kitay-Gorod Gallery of the VZ Moscow Union

Photo: tripadvisor.ru

The VZ Kitay-Gorod Gallery is a new venue of the Moscow Union of Exhibition Halls, a network of contemporary exhibition spaces founded in 2013 and working with various types and genres of traditional and contemporary art.

ArtMaison Contemporary Art Gallery

The gallery is a transformer venue where exhibitions, lectures, master classes, film screenings, closed and open events, concerts, corporate events, private events, brand marketing programs, parties and urban cultural programs take place.

MSK Eastside Art Gallery

MSK Eastside gallery invites young talented artists, photographers and installation artists to present their creations to a wide cultural audience. Here they can find support and incentive for development and present their ideas and projects. In addition, the gallery plans to present works by both well-known and promising artists whose energy, enthusiasm and freedom of thought create something new and original.

Niko Gallery

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The gallery hosts concerts of classical music and jazz, artists' exhibitions and a permanent exhibition of works by N. B. Nikogosyan, People's Artist of the USSR and an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. The building housing the gallery, created by Nikolay Nikogosyan in the 2000s, used to be a workshop where he made his works. Many well-known people used to come to pose and visit. The reconstruction project was recognized as one of the best architectural projects of 2008.

Nagornaya Gallery

The gallery runs projects in partnership with Moscow and regional museums, cultural foundations, creative unions, art universities and other organizations. In 2014 the gallery participated in the Moscow International Biennale of Young Art. Master classes, film screenings, festivals, performances, poetry readings, book presentations, meetings with cultural figures, discussions, actions, educational programs and an ethnonational fair are held here.

Na Peschanaya Gallery

Na Peschanaya Gallery is a place where exhibitions are held, books are sold, the zine-cafe 'Tirazh' and the 'Art Sokol' studio operate. The gallery aims to promote contemporary art at the local level and provides visitors with information about ongoing exhibitions. It supports emerging artists, curators, students and graduates of creative institutes, and also prints catalogs, zines, almanacs and posters. In the workshop you can apply to have your project printed using a risograph. The bookstore offers a wide selection of books on art, architecture and design, as well as prints and children's books.

Promgrafika Gallery

Promgrafika Gallery is a space for exchanging knowledge and professional achievements in graphic design and contemporary culture. It showcases artists' works and hosts master classes in calligraphy and drawing. Projects 'MOSGRAF' and 'Margoski', representing works by Moscow artists, are regularly held here. Students' course and diploma projects from art schools are also exhibited.

Kashirka Gallery

Today the gallery works with artists from various creative directions, presenting exhibitions of traditional and contemporary genres, specially developed art projects with video and media installations, and thematic performances. Lectures, master classes, film screenings, concerts, creative meetings, interactive art actions, book presentations and festivals take place here.

Na Shabolovka Gallery

Photo: shabolovka.vzmoscow.ru

The 'Moskvorechye' creative association, located in the Danilovsky district of Moscow, is over 20 years old. The exhibition hall has become an anthem of the post-revolutionary capital. Over the years more than 600 art exhibitions have been held here not only in Moscow but also in other Russian cities and abroad. In 2014 the gallery's space was completely renovated.

Peresvetov Pereulok Gallery

Photo: um.mos.ru

'Peresvetov Pereulok' is one of the legendary centers of Moscow's artistic life, located on Avtozavodskaya for almost three decades. It hosted noisy performances and underground actions of the 1980s, unusual and memorable exhibitions and events of the 'KLAVs' of the 1990s, and colorful events with the 'Order of Courteous Mannerists' in the mid-1990s. In the 21st century it hosts conceptual, philosophical exhibitions where freedom, independence, looseness and the appeal of contemporary artists manifest.

Alpert Gallery

Alpert Gallery is dedicated to carrying out various creative, cultural and public projects. It hosts art exhibitions, lectures, master classes, literary and music evenings, meetings, seminars and other events. The unified art space preserves historical past, continues cultural traditions and creates the art of the future.

Belyaevo Gallery

Photo: um.mos.ru

The gallery is located in the South-Western Administrative Okrug of Moscow, where more than a million people live. Major manufacturing enterprises, well-known universities and research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences are located here. The gallery is located close to a metro station and faces one of the capital's main transport arteries. It is a great place for people interested in art.

Varshavka Gallery-Workshop

Photo: culture.ru

'Varshavka' is the only exhibition hall in Nagorny District in southern Moscow, operating since 1983. Events and exhibitions are held in the exhibition hall, and mosaic classes are offered in the studio under the guidance of famous mosaic artist Marat Nasibullov. Rotation of talented artists from around the world helps form an understanding of the territory and a unique trend of its development. New forms of interaction with the local community are actively used in 'Varshavka'.

People's Gallery of the State Russian House of Folk Art named after V.D. Polenov

Photo: rusfolk.ru

In 1992 the 'People's Gallery' exhibition hall was opened, belonging to the Fine Arts and Decorative Arts Department of the State Russian House of Folk Art named after V.D. Polenov. Its purpose was to introduce the public to the work of the best Russian masters of decorative and applied arts and amateur artists.

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