Institutional Features of the Chinese Art Market and Its Potential for Modernizing the Russian Artistic Ecosystem

The article proposes a roadmap for extrapolating the positive experience of China’s advanced art market, as well as practices from mature markets in the U.S. and Western Europe, to Russia’s emerging art market. The feasibility of this hybrid model is grounded in theoretical research on cross-cultural perspectives (M. Javidan, G.K. Stahl, C. Wilderom, A. Perrin, N. Rolland, T. Stanley, F. Codignola), the concept of cultural affinity (O. Velthuis), and the market of singularities (L. Karpik). The study focuses on the Chinese market due to its paral-lels with Russia in terms of developmental stages. Key aspects of China’s art ecosystem are examined, includ-ing state-led promotion of high technology, integration into the global market, a strong governmental role within a market economy, and the unique role of Chinese auction houses as “cultural intermediaries” (cicerones). In contrast, Russia’s art market faces challenges such as conflicting expert opinions, which undermine trust (e.g., the E. Basner case, disputes involving G. Churak and L. Gladkova’s assessments). To bolster collector confi-dence, the article advocates for museum-based expert panels (following traditional market practices) and state-supported auction houses – mechanisms aimed at reducing information asymmetry and uncertainty (parallel-ing China’s judgment devices, per Karpik’s theory). Special attention is given to the evolving philosophy of young collectors, who prioritize digital platforms with global reach (e.g., online galleries) over conventional channels.