A Book Supported by Fine Art Shippers Goes to Harvard Library

A major book on one of the most prominent private art collections published with the support of Fine Art Shippers has been included in the Harvard Library Judaica Collection. The work, titled “Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera and their Unique Collection: The Untold Story of Passion for Art and Dedication to Building Bridges,” was written by Israeli sociologist of culture and politics Dr. Alek D. Epstein and art historian Sofia Birina.

The book tells the story of two Israeli art collectors who gathered a unique collection of Russian nonconformist art. Despite growing public interest in public collections, the Bar-Gera collection has been largely overlooked. The new book acknowledges its significance and pays homage to the couple’s heritage. Besides, this research has contributed to studying and understanding Russian cultural history and the complex relationships between Israel, Germany, and Russia. Fine Art Shippers became an essential partner in the book’s bilingual Russian-English edition.

The Polish-born couple Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera formed their collection between 1967 and 1991. The gallery they founded in Cologne in the 1960s became a prominent platform for independent Russian art in Western Europe. Their collection was one of three major collections of Russian nonconformist art outside the Soviet Union, along with those of French art collector Jean-Jacques Guéron and American economist Norton T. Dodge of Maryland University.

It featured works by a wide range of artists belonging to different art currents prevalent in the Russian nonconformist movement during the Cold War, including Ilya Kabakov, Oscar Rabin, Mikhail Shvartsman, Dmitry Krasnopevtsev, Vladimir Nemukhin, Dmitry Plavinsky, Oleg Tselkov, Grigory Bruskin, Vladimir Yankilevsky, and many others.

Harvard Library’s Judaica Collection documents Jewish life and culture throughout history. It is a one-of-a-kind resource for Harvard and the international scholarly academic, containing materials in over 50 languages from around the world. Judaica materials have been part of Harvard Library since 1635. The modern Judaica Division, founded in 1962, is responsible for collection development, digitalization, fundraising, publications, and other aspects. The current collection includes over 820,000 titles, with more than 22,000 additions annually.

Fine Arts Shippers is a New York-based art logistics company serving private and institutional clients across the United States and internationally. It collaborates with many art galleries, museums, auction houses, artists, and collectors. Fines Art Shippers also supports culturally significant projects and undertakings. The company sees the publication of “Kenda and Jacob Bar-Gera and their Unique Collection: The Untold Story of Passion for Art and Dedication to Building Bridges” as its contribution to preserving the memory of an essential page of 20th-century art.

About Fine Art Shippers

Fine Art Shippers is a professional fine art shipping company headquartered in New York City. Established in 1995, we have grown to provide a wide range of art and antique moving services to meet the needs of the art community and private collectors from around the world. Our expertise includes but is not limited to luxury home moving, art packing and crating, art storage, white glove art courier service, art installation, antique furniture moving, international transportation, and gallery exhibition services. We operate across the United States and worldwide, making Fine Art Shippers the number one choice for many reputable art business professionals and institutions. Find more information about our team of dedicated art shippers on our website.