It’s not unusual for old factory buildings to transform into fashionable homes for artists and galleries. What is uncommon, however, is for such industrial settings to skip the starving-artist stage and go directly to SoHo-chic. Yet that’s just what has happened at Winzavod (1 Fourth Syromyatnicheskiy Pereulok, Bldg. 6; 7-495/917-3436; winzavod.com), a new arts center set in a striking old redbrick wine factory (the name means "wine factory"). Tucked behind the Kursky train station, Winzavod is the brainchild and business project of Roman and Sofia Trotsenko, a wealthy couple who have set their sights on art and profit—not surprising bedfel-lows in this money-driven city. Visitors will find Moscow’s best contemporary art galleries; those that haven’t moved here outright have opened affiliates. The five Winzavod galleries below have helped the Trotsenkos capture the eye of local critics.
Aidan: A partner in Russia’s first contemporary art gallery back in 1989, Aidan Salakhova opened her own space in 1992. A recent show by Alexander Savko featured The Simpsons characters superimposed on classic Russian paintings. aidan-gallery.ru
Guelman: Marat Guelman is well known for his political activism. A portrait panorama here by Dmitry Vrubel and Viktoria Timofeyeva displayed everyone from Putin to Alexander Litvi-nenko, the former KGB officer poisoned in London. guelman.ru
Proun: A new gallery by Marina Loshak, noted for her unerring taste in avant-garde and folk art. If you’re into Malevich or rural motifs, this is a good bet. proungallery.ru
Regina: The stable of Vladimir Ovcharenko, a former banker, notably includes photographer Nikolai Bakharev, known best for his innocently erotic shots of real people. regina.ru
XL: Elena Selina’s gallery is big on video installations and colorful paintings by Dubosarsky & Vinogradov, a long-standing artistic duo, as well as photographs by Oleg Kulik, who gained fame as a performance artist—playing a dog. xlgallery.ru
