This is not a toy for you: Russian artists have given an answer to the sensational Lab

Simple plastic and vinyl figurines have long been transformed into art objects, and toys have become a full-fledged genre of modern art. Collectors are hunting for exclusive Kaws, Banksy and BearBrick all over the world and are ready to shell out several million rubles each. While people are crazy about the Lab, Russian artists are actively storming the global art market with their characters. Among them are recognizable characters from Smesharikov, Soyuzmultfilm, and their own fantasies. The correspondent of Izvestia visited the opening of the exhibition "Super Toys. The Art inside" and found out why the figurines cost so much and who buys them.

Adult toys

If it may seem to someone that toys are purely child's play, collector Ilya Popov will definitely disagree with them. Over 20 years, he has collected more than 12,000 figurines, many of which cost from several hundred thousand to millions of rubles. From a personal passion, a large exhibition dedicated to designer toys was born, which features both world stars of the art market and Russian artists who are gaining popularity.

— Only a small part of the large collection is presented here. About two thousand, but the exhibition will constantly change, showing the audience new exhibits," Ilya Popov, the author of the project, told Izvestia.

Two floors, a thousand square meters, a dozen themed halls and thousands of toys. Among them are figurines based on the iconic works of Banksy, Labubu by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung, who recently drove the whole world crazy, BearBrick bears and the famous Kaws.

For those who are not in the subject: Kaws is an American artist and designer Brian Donnelly, whose figurines of a fictional long—eared creature are going under the hammer at Christie's and Phillips auctions for millions of dollars. There are more of them at the exhibition. And the most expensive lot, which can be bought directly in the recreation center "Crystal", costs 3 million rubles. According to Ilya Popov, the author of the exhibition, the price consists of several factors — limitations, the artist's work itself and the state of the art market.

— The circulation of such a toy is always strictly limited. The main price is determined by the author himself. The more famous it is, the more in demand among collectors, the more appreciated and the more expensive the work can be sold," Popov said.

Another phenomenon of exposure is Labubu. Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung came up with these animals back in 2015, when he lived in the Netherlands and was inspired by the mythology of the country. Labubu is a mischievous, big—eared elf girl with a wide toothy smile. She has a boyfriend named Taikoko, a skeletal monster who is known for his kindness and fun.

This year, at the Yongle auction in Beijing, a 131 cm tall Labubu figurine went for 1.08 million yuan (about 11.7 million rubles). According to Popov, this popularity is based on the blind-box principle, familiar to many from kinder surprises. When a collectible figurine is placed in an opaque package and the buyer does not know what is in it.

Smeshariki — the Russian answer to Lubub

The important message of the exhibition is that Russian artists can compete with art giants. Therefore, Super Toys has a stage where our authors are on a par with world masters. Among them are works by Evgeny Ches, Alexey Krutko, Nijat Huseynov, Sergey Safonov, projects by Pika Lime, Yarms, Taran Maxim and others.

One of the most striking successful examples is the ChikoRoko project, initiated by Ilya Popov, the co—author of Smesharikov. These are not just mass-produced souvenirs, but the Crumbs and Hedgehogs familiar to many in limited collaborations with foreign authors and brands, which are sold at the collector's release level. So, a hand-painted Mole with a giant eye in the center costs 600 thousand rubles, and a gradient cherry-orange Hedgehog 118 cm high will become part of someone's collection for only 700 thousand rubles.

Artists are not only inspired by famous characters like Mickey Mouse and the rabbit from the cartoon "Nu, Pogodi!" in the series "Tearing off masks" by artist Evgeny Ches, but also invent their own.

— One of my heroes is Gum. This is the kind of fruit that came to life and went traveling. After he dies, a seed grows in his head. And Guma has a handbag on her back, where she keeps a diary. The reborn Gum reads it and understands that he is not the first, and continues his journey," artist Sergey Safonov told Izvestia.

The Russian toy market is actively growing and monetizing. There is a mass segment — blind-boxes for a couple of thousand, an average level — figures for 10-30 thousand rubles with a limited edition, as well as premium toys from Russian authors that cost from 100 thousand rubles and above. All this clearly shows that the "Russian toy" has ceased to be just a souvenir for a child.

Many celebrities buy such figurines at home or give them to friends. Rappers Kanye West and Jay Z have large collections among Western stars, while Timati and Philip Kirkorov are among Russian stars.

The opening at the Kristall was like a real film premiere: the guests took pictures at the cardboard toy box press wall, tried to secretly touch the soft fur of the Labuba and, of course, bought action figures for themselves. Multi-colored bearbricks were very popular. The final attraction was a giant blue Crumb from ChikoRoko, which could be painted with special markers. A correspondent of Izvestia also contributed to the risk — now the red inscription of the Izvestia News Center is emblazoned on the plastic rabbit's left ear.