A work from which several copies can be made was long perceived as something secondary. The prevailing idea was that a true artist creates one original, and everything else are copies. However, when we discuss printmaking, the work is specifically created for reproduction, and every single impression becomes part of the artist’s edition. Sometimes the artist finishes it by hand, which means two prints from the same series might differ slightly from one another.
In recent years, a distinct infrastructure has developed around print graffiti in Russia. Publishing houses, print workshops, and collectible projects have emerged, occupying dedicated booths at major fairs such as Cosmoscow or Art Moscow.
Format One
In 2014, Elchin Alizade founded «Format One”—a publishing house and online gallery that works with editioned prints by contemporary Russian artists. The publishing program includes screen printing, linocut, etchings, other classic and experimental printing techniques, as well as multi-print works. Special attention is given to working with artists associated with street art. „Format One“ proved to be significant not only as a venue for releasing prints. Together with the artists, the publishing house effectively shapes a culture of collecting editioned art. Works are released in limited editions, are signed and numbered, and the production process itself becomes part of the artistic project. In 2024, Alizade curated the first section of editioned graphic art at Art Moscow.
Shaltai Editions
If «Format One» stands out more in discussions about the contemporary and street art scene, Shaltai Editions showcases another facet of printmaking. Valeriya Rodnyanskaya’s project began in 2016 and has focused on author graphic art and new artistic endeavors. Among the artists featured by Shaltai Editions are Viktor Pivovarov, Andrei Monastyrsky, Pavel Pepperstein, Boris Orlov, and other representatives from various generations of Russian art. A significant project of the platform is NATI, the «New Archive of Print Art, ” which brings together established artists and emerging talent. Every print is specifically created for editioning and involves a collaborative process between the artist, curator, and studio, resulting in an independent work of art.
PrintMafia
Photos from social media printmafia
Behind the attractive word «print run» lies quite complex manual labor. In Moscow, the Printmafia workshop, founded by Ildar Iskakov in 2014, is responsible for this. During its operation, it has produced several hundred print runs by Russian and international artists. The artist and the printmaker collaborate on the image, colors, layers, and materials—a process that demands manual setup and control. This is why the printmaking workshop becomes a full participant in the creation of the work. Printmafia regularly collaborates with Format One, and their joint projects have appeared at Cosmoscow.
This is perhaps the main difference between editioned graphics and a standard reproduction. A reproduction attempts to replace the original, whereas printmaking is inherently conceived as a series of original works. It has its own rules, its own economy, and even its own language—from the edition number to manual interventions and experimentation with printing techniques. Therefore, contemporary editioned graphics constitute a distinct segment of the art market, where the artist, publisher, and printmaker collaborate to conceive of a work designed for multiple copies from the outset.
