MOSCOW—The venue for Larry Gagosian’s first Russian foray, in October, wasn’t the easiest place for Muscovites to reach. Just ask Peter Aven, Alfa Bank president and avid art collector, who bolted from a Christie’s soiree across from the Kremlin at 8 p.m. to get to Gogo’s 8:30 opening in the suburb of Barvikha, an hour’s drive away in traffic. Aven had good reason to rush: His bank’s parent company, Alfa Group, was sponsoring Gagosian’s special exhibition, in a mall not so subtly called Luxury Village. There, 300 VIP guests took in art by Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly in a space within a stone’s throw of Lamborghini and Ferrari dealerships. Gogo had at least one solid customer: Alfa Group chairman Mikhail Fridman says he bought four paintings.

"On the Gogo" comes to ARTINFO from the December 2007 issue of Art & Auction magazine.