Gallery
- On the 2nd floor of the golden tower “Mercury” is located an exhibition hall (artspace) with an area of about 500m2, and on the 40th floor is situated the ILONA-K Artspace gallery, with an area of 250m2, where you’ll find the best panoramic views of Moscow and the most relevant art of our time.
- The founder of the gallery is Ilona Kesaeva, a graduate of the London School of Economics and Sotheby’s Institute of Arts, daughter of Stella Kesaeva, Stella is a collector and a philanthropist, the founder and the president of Stella Art Foundation. The opening took place as part of the VIP program of the 8th COSMOSCOW international contemporary art fair.
- Exhibition halls on the 2nd and the 40th floors of Mercury Tower in Moscow City will become one of the most beautiful artspace in our city, opened for artists from all over the world, as well as for holding your events (conferences, presentations, business breakfasts, buffets, business negotiations, etc.) surrounded by unique contemporary art objects.
- Website - www.ilona-k.com
High ceilings, open floor plans, panoramic views of the city, and an atmosphere of intelligent art—all this makes the space on the second floor of the Mercury Tower a modern cultural platform.
It is home to the Stella Art Foundation, a unique art space in Moscow that brings together artists, curators, and viewers in an environment where every exhibition becomes an event.
History
In 2003, on the initiative of Stella Kesayeva, a foundation was established that became the impetus for the systematic promotion of Russian contemporary art. The project began with an idea: to create an independent platform for dialogue between artists and institutions. From its early years, the foundation initiated significant collaborations, including an exhibition by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov at the Hermitage.
The scale of the projects grew steadily: exhibitions in Vienna, Thessaloniki, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. In 2019, an exhibition created in partnership with the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts was presented as part of the 58th Venice Biennale. The Mercury Tower marked a new phase for the foundation—now every event has artistic and spatial ambition.
Mission and goals
The unique exhibition hall in Moscow City has become a point of intersection between business processes, innovation, and aesthetics. The Stella Art Foundation operates as a non-profit organization but plays a key institutional role in the Russian art scene. Its mission is to systematically develop cultural infrastructure, support artists, and create a sustainable cultural dialogue between Russia and the world.
Main goals:
- Expanding the international representation of Russian art.
- Developing a professional environment for authors, curators, and researchers.
- Forming a collection of more than 1,500 works.
- Implementing educational and literary initiatives.
- Supporting projects focused on experimentation, performance practices, and multimedia forms.
Programs and projects
The foundation implements large-scale initiatives covering various genres and media platforms. The geography of the projects—from the Venice Biennale to the Shanghai scene—confirms the institution's high international status.
Each event organized by the foundation becomes an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of contemporary art, introduce new names, and rethink already recognized forms. Here, they work with artists of different generations, form bold curatorial concepts, and adapt the space to current tasks. Attention to detail, artistic integrity, and openness to experimentation are characteristic features of all Stella Art Foundation programs.
Renting the gallery for exhibitions has become an integral part of the infrastructure, allowing companies and cultural initiatives to use the ready-made space for their own projects in a unique architectural and cultural context.
Interaction with artists
Our work with artists is based on institutional trust and project partnerships. Support includes the possibility of renting an exhibition hall and comprehensive assistance in the implementation of ideas.
Formats of cooperation:
- Curatorial collaborations with artists working in new media.
- Grant support for research, production, and exhibition.
- The New Generation program—a platform for young artists to debut their work.
- Participation in international art fairs and biennials.
- Access to the foundation's infrastructure and technical support for project implementation.
Each artist is provided with the conditions for large-scale expression, whether it be a chamber installation or a spatial multimedia exhibition in the center of Moscow. The gallery transforms each event into a cultural gesture worthy of attention.
Educational programs
The foundation's educational activities logically complement its exhibition and curatorial activities. The Stella Art Foundation space becomes a venue for lectures, literary evenings, meetings with artists, public discussions, and themed excursions.
Audiences become participants in the artistic process, involved in conversations about art, its meanings, context, and influence on society. The integration of educational and artistic formats creates a complete cultural ecosystem.
The foundation's literary initiatives have become an independent direction. The programs of the Moscow Poetry Club and the Evenings at Skaryatinsky project have combined visual and verbal practices, showing how different forms of art can coexist and reinforce each other in one space.
Renting an exhibition hall in such a location becomes more than just an organizational task. It is a step towards combining intellectual content and spectacular presentation, a combination of status, aesthetics, and educational function.
