THE MERCURY CENTER FOR INTELLECTUAL ART

Abstract

The activation and reformation of the Ukrainian art market between 2022 and 2024 are closely connected with the search for ways to overcome challenges for the society posed by russia’s war against Ukraine. This process is characterized by the appearance of new players – galleries and art centers, art dealers, auctions, and others – and their localization. Since Lviv has become a refuge for internally displaced persons, it was logical for artists, art collections, and representatives of art business to relocate there as well. There arose a need to promote classical and contemporary Ukrainian art, with the increased demand for works of painting, graphics, sculpture, and photography among locals and tourists. In 2024, the Mercury Center for Intellectual Art began its work in Lviv. The purpose of the article is to explore the activities of the Mercury Center for Intellectual Art in the context of the russian-Ukrainian war as a new representative of the Ukrainian art market. The methodology of the work consists in the chronological, comparative, creative and activity methods. The scientific novelty of this article lies in analyzing the concept behind its establishment as an institution that, through exhibitions, auctions, art collection promotion, the work of an alternative art school, and other projects, contributes to the transformation of Ukraine’s art market toward greater transparency and consolidation with global processes in the field. Summary of research results: The establishment of the institution is justified based on the theory of intellectual art of Bohdan Mysiura, a renowned art critic and researcher of Lviv modernism. The article details key activities, with a focus on expositions, exhibitions, auctions, and educational initiatives. Exhibitions such as «A Retrospective of Ukrainian Intellectual Art», «Wandering Within Oneself», and «My Territory» are described. The work of the Mercury Auction House, including the pre-auction exhibition and auction «Ukrainian Art of the 20th–21st Centuries», as well as the sale of artworks through the art space’s website and public information on the purchase or sale of art collections or parts thereof is also examined. Additionally, the activities of the Mercury Alternative Art School are discussed. Collectively, these efforts have confirmed the conviction that the Mercury Center for Intellectual Art, which made a significant debut in 2024, is an authoritative player in the Ukrainian art market and professionally promotes the artistic values of the 20th – early 21st centuries.