On December 10, 2020, the World Association for the Development of Philately held a webinar on the subject of Art in the Philately business model. Representatives from 40 countries of the world took part in the event held in the online format.
In the philatelic community, Art is one of the most popular areas in collecting. It ranks No. 3 in collectibles after Fauna and Space. Artyom Adibekov, the President of the WARF and the Director General of JSC Marka reported on the advanced experience of Russia regarding the integration of art and philately.
Since 2012, the Publishing House has been issuing series of postage stamps dedicated to the artwork of Russian classic painters, as well as contemporary artists, sculptors, and graphic artists. The Publishing House cooperates with the leading artist associations of the country.
In the year of celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Publishing House dedicated the issuance of stamps in the Contemporary Russian Art series to the artists-veterans of the War. Four stamps were put into postal circulation with the total number of 312 thousand items that provide replications of paintings by now living front-line artists: Viktor Makeev, Boris Nemensky, Sergei Tkachev, and sculptor Grigory Yastrebenetsky.
Starting with the year of 2010, JSC Marka has been holding thematic competitions for artists. Owing to the assistance from the Union of Artists of Russia, the contests have gained an all-Russian scale. The interest revealed and the number of authors attracted to participation in competitions are indicative of the significance of a postage stamp as an art form.
Since 2017, JSC Marka has been realizing the Art of a Stamp joint project in association with the Russian Academy of Arts, the Union of Artists of Russia and the Moscow Union of Artists. This is an exhibition display that combines works of painting, graphics and postage miniature. The Art of a Stamp project has already gained a wide regional coverage: exhibitions are held on a regular basis in museums and exhibition centers all over the country.
As was stated by Artyom Adibekov, a postage stamp is really a work of art. Due to thematic diversity, high artistic level and systematic work to promote postage stamps and philately as a form of collecting, they attract new appraisers.
The participants in the webinar highly appreciated the reference experience of Russia in the development of philately, which combines historical traditions and cultural values with modern technologies. JSC Marka suggests holding an Art of a Stamp exhibition at the headquarters of the Universal Postal Union in Bern to provide a clear illustration of combining philately and art.
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