The "New Rules" odyssey will end in March in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania. Brochet plans an epilogue at the Moscow World Art Fair, at the end of May, for which 50 rich Russians will be jetted in from around the country by S7 Airlines. He and his partners had originally planned to sell the collection once exhibitions had ended, but they are now keen to expand their holdings. Even in the faltering global economy, Brochet asserts that their purchases will continue. The opening of galleries and exhibition spaces has "given the market fresh impetus," he says, proclaiming himself eager to see whether "Russian art can follow the success of Chinese art." Brochet believes it can. He also believes that cutting-edge art is being taken seriously outside Moscow and that provincialism will be overcome. "Contemporary art in Russia is no longer a subculture," Brochet says with characteristically brash confidence. "We’re proving that."

"Rules on the Road" originally appeared in the January 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's January 2009 Table of Contents.