The Figure of Mediator at Russian Contemporary Art-scene: Structural Conditions and Professional Identities

Art mediation is a relatively new phenomenon for the art world, which began its active development with the itinerant biennial "Manifesta" in St. Petersburg in 2014. Nowadays, art mediators can be found in many cities in various museums, galleries and contemporary art biennials; schools for mediators are emerging and improving. Nevertheless, the strategies of interaction between cultural institutions and mediators are not fully formed, and there is no consensus among institutions regarding the definition of art mediation and its field of application. Moreover, institutions themselves are often unable to offer professionals satisfactory working conditions, and some of them even position mediation as a volunteer work. With this study we demonstrate how mediators themselves perceive their work under conditions of structural uncertainty: what motives guide mediators when they choose art mediation as a job; how they characterize their position within the profession and how they imagine their career prospects. This study hastheoretical relevance, as it contributes to a broader understanding of the phenomenon of art mediation by the direct representatives of the profession; and a practical orientation, which manifests itself in viewing mediators as vulnerable employees who face a range of difficulties in their work activities. This, in turn, can provide institutions with the prospect of rethinking their strategies for interacting with their staff, contributing to the further development of the phenomenon itself.