Erarta is the largest private museum of contemporary art in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg.
The overall objective of the project is to collect, exhibit, and popularize most ingenious and skillful works by contemporary artists. The main part of the project is the museum of contemporary art “Erarta”, located in Saint Petersburg. Besides the museum, the project also includes commercial galleries, a workshop, publishing and educational programs, as well as various cultural events and activities. Erarta was established with the idea of an ultimately open project not only to serve various categories of artists and visitors, but also encouraging cooperation with everyone who wishes to realize their ideas, both professionally and as an amateur. This means that Erarta project is under continuous development.
The museum aims to provide every visitor with an opportunity to discover the best works of contemporary art. At present (July 2015), the Erarta collection counts about 2,300 works by more than 250 artists who represent various regions of Russia. But for painting that is the majority of the collection, it includes graphics, sculpture, installations, and other types of modern fine arts.
When choosing works for the museum collection, staff assess them in accordance with the criterion of talent, not the artist’s popularity or adherence to a particular art movement. Erarta does not refer to prestigious authorities and does not offer ready-made viewpoints to its visitors, thus giving them an opportunity to make their own choice towards something that is most interesting and close to them.
The museum collection is exhibited in the museum wing of the building, as well as on the fourth and fifth floors of the gallery wing. The Erarta collection is much larger than the exhibited exposition and is going to be replenished in the future; parts of the museum exposition will be renewed. The big hall on the 5th floor houses temporary exhibitions of both artists represented in the Erarta collection, and of guest artists from Russia and abroad.
Self-portraits of artists in the museum collection are exhibited on five floors of the staircase in the gallery wing. Video interviews with Erarta artists are to be found on touch-screens in the gallery café on the third floor.
In the museum, visitors are welcome to book guided tours, individual or group ones. They may also rent an audio-guide at the registration desk on first floor. There are special themes and gaming excursions for schoolchildren.
Information about Erarta and its mission is to be found in the third floor hall. What is more, the electronic images collection is displayed there, which outnumbers the museum collection considerably. Visitors may order copies of images in the art shop or on the website.
