MOSCOW.- Cosmoscow, the only international contemporary art fair in Russia and the CIS, announces the 2018 edition of the fair will open from 6 – 9 September at Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor.

The 2018 edition will feature a number of specially commissioned projects, including a new solo project by Taus Makhacheva – who has been named as Cosmoscow 2018 Artist of the Year – and a site-specific project by Alexey Martins who was recently announced as winner of 2017 Ruinart Art Patronat grant.

"I am delighted that Cosmoscow Art Fair continues to grow with a higher number of visitors and more artist projects and commissions every year. Our focus continues to be on creating a platform for contemporary art in this region, to support emerging artists and create a space for cultural dialogue between Russia and the rest of the world. For this reason we set up the Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art with a dedicated programme of activity that will create career opportunities and new funding streams for young artists. The Cosmoscow team has amassed over five years of art fair experience, professional expertise and a high level of public interest, and we’re looking forward to another successful edition of the fair.”

Russian artist Taus Makhacheva has been announced as the Cosmoscow 2018 Artist of the Year by the Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art. Taus has been invited to create a new commission that will be presented as part of the fair’s non-commercial programme and imagery of an existing work will be used throughout Cosmoscow 2018 visual identity. Taus Makhacheva (b. 1983) was also the recipient of Kandinsky Prize (2016) and Innovation Prize (2011), among others. In 2017 her work Tightrope (2015) was featured in the main project of the 57th Venice Biennale. The longlist of Cosmoscow 2018 Artist of the Year nominees was created by the Cosmoscow Foundation for Contemporary Art Expert Committee (Joseph Bakstein, Danila Bulatov, Valentin Dyakonov, Irina Gorlova, and Anna Tolstova). The winner was selected by the Foundation Board members (Marina Andreeva, Elena Latypova, Simon Mraz, and Valeriya Rodnyanskaya).

A wide range of significant art events will take place at the same time as Cosmoscow 2018 including a solo exhibition of Russian artist Sveta Shuvaeva – who was Cosmoscow 2016 Artist of the Year. Shuvaeva’s exhibition will be a site-specific installation at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art supported by SmartArt Foundation from 5 September until 14 October.