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The Laboratory
of Abstract Art how to make strong art and make yourself known in the art world
Starts 7 September
until the start …
What the Laboratory of Abstract Art gives you
Three steps from intuitive abstraction to strong work you can charge a real price for without flinching.
You will master the language of abstraction
If you have worked on instinct until now, you will gain a system and a conscious method.
You will create a strong abstract piece
Even with no academic training, you will learn to tell the strong from the merely pretty.
You will raise the value of your work
And take your first step into the art world, understanding what shapes price and recognition.
How the Laboratory of Abstract Art is structured
Ten live lectures in three parts: from the language of abstraction to the art market
Part 1
The language of abstraction
A detailed look at every movement in abstract art, so you know what your own work stands on.
Part 2
21st-century abstraction
An analysis of contemporary abstraction in both the international and the Russian context. More than a hundred artists worth knowing and following.
Part 3
Abstraction and the market
How pricing works, and how to raise the value of your own work.
Who the Laboratory suits, and what it opens up
Abstraction is easy to enter and hard to master: what separates a strong piece from a merely pretty one, and how to make yourself known in the art world. The Laboratory closes both gaps.
Abstract painters
You have painted abstraction for years, people buy it to hang at home, yet your prices stay flat and galleries stay silent. You will learn what raises the value and the recognition of your work.
Beginning artists with no academic training
Abstraction is one of the most accessible ways into art. Learn its language and you take the route upward, towards strong work rather than decoration.
Artists working in other media
You come from another medium and want to learn abstraction as a language rather than as pretty patches of colour. You will gain the knowledge and add a new medium to your practice.
For those ready to make strong art
You can already sense that you are capable of strong work, but not what separates a strong piece from a merely good one. Here is the missing link: the language, the context and an understanding of what makes work valuable.
Choose your plan
Every plan includes the ten live lectures. What differs is the depth of support.
- Ten live lectures: the language of abstraction, 21st-century abstraction, the art market
- Everything in the Listener plan
- Live meetings with Q&A sessions
- Access to extra materials (working with theme and context, the artist's method)
- Everything in the Researcher plan
- Live meetings with Q&A sessions
- A personal review of your work, created during the Laboratory
Programme price
Instalments by arrangement.
- Ten live lectures: the language of abstraction, the 21st century, the art market
- Access to the programme's extra materials
- A creative community and support from curators
Enrol, or book a free consultation
Enter your name, email and phone number *
How your studies will work
Video lectures online
- Study when it suits you, at your own pace
- Step by step you learn how the art world works and what contemporary art is
- Up-to-date materials only
A Q&A archive
- 50 hours of answers to student questions
- 200+ detailed answers to the questions artists worry about most
- An archive of portfolio and exhibition-project presentations
Community support
- Working alongside like-minded people in the programme chat
- Access to the private alumni chat, where 400+ artists share their experience
Feedback and personal support
- Daily support from curators
- Weekly answers to your questions and monthly live sessions with Maria
- A personal portfolio presentation
Maria Hiltunen-Sedoshenko
Art becomes valuable when it finds its viewer. This is your voice, and what you say with it is entirely up to you.
Enrol and start your career in the art world
MMOMA (Petrovka 25)
Katrin Z.'s exhibition Between Fun and Pleasure
6 art fairs
DaMoscow 2019, Cosmoscow 2020, Blazar 2020, Art Russia 2020–2022
Gallery exhibitions
Damir Muratov, «Short Stories» 2020; Nikita Shokhov, Scan Klaxon 2020, and others.
Where they work and exhibit our graduates
Our graduates build careers in the art industry and work with galleries, museums and artist residencies around the world.
Key art spaces and galleries
MMOMA, Cube.Moscow, Heaven Gallery, Artocratia, TRIPTYCH, Ground Solyanka, Winzavod Open Studios, IGUMO, Belye Allei, Doca Art, K320Space, KULT, ARBUZZ, Molbert, RA ART.
Gallery contracts
Triptych Gallery, PALATY, Askeri Gallery, Haze (Berlin), Amsterdam Whitney Gallery (New York), Artseeker.
Biennials and festivals
The Venice Biennale, the Ural Biennial, the World Youth Festival, Archstoyanie, AtomExpo.
Museums and exhibition projects
The Moscow Conservatory hall, Skoltech, the Museum of Moscow, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Yerevan, the planetariums of Hamburg and Bochum.
Solo exhibitions
Hidden Place, Omelchenko Gallery, Khodynka Gallery, Israel, Satka, Nikolskaya (London), Foundry Downtown Dubai.
Art fairs
Art Russia, Win Win, ART3F Paris Autumn, Blazar, Cosmoscow, Art Shopping (Paris), Red Dot Miami.
Gain the skills that count for making strong abstract work
Abstraction is a language. The Laboratory gives you a system instead of working on instinct: you understand why a piece is strong, and you can do it again.
Professional skills (hard skills)
- Command of the language of abstraction: movements, composition, form, colour, rhythm
- An abstract painter's personal method — from the idea to the finished piece
- An analysis of contemporary abstraction: 100+ artists, international and Russian context
- An understanding of how pricing works and what raises the value of your work
Transferable skills (soft skills)
- A trained eye and a critical view of abstract art
- An understanding of what separates strong work from merely pretty work
- Developing a voice of your own
What you get at the end of the Laboratory
Not only knowledge, but something tangible you can take into the art world with confidence.
A strong piece of your own
An abstract piece created during the Laboratory. On the VIP plan it comes with a personal review by the curator.
A personal method
A clear system for working in abstraction — from the idea to the finished piece, not just pretty patches of colour.
A map of abstraction
Your bearings among the movements and the 100+ artists of the 21st century — the context and the value of work.
OnStudy's own learning platform
Flexible online study with practical assignments and a comfortable student account
Knowledge checks
Assignments marked by tutors with your mistakes explained, plus free master classes
Material that makes sense
Recorded video lessons, written summaries, quizzes, assignments and case studies
With no time limit
Access to all materials 24/7. The study process can be adapted to your schedule
Access from any device
Study on a computer, tablet or phone — your progress is always in sync.
Stories from people who chose OnStudy
Student stories: how they go through the programme and get into fairs and galleries.
Your curator always in touch
in the Telegram chat
Ask questions, discuss the assignments and get support from tutors and fellow students in the shared Telegram chat.
This format does not limit contact — you can always share ideas, ask for advice or discuss your progress with like-minded people and tutors.
Work in the chats and support from Maria
Daily support from the curators
Weekly answers from Maria to your questions
Monthly live sessions with Maria on the topics that matter most
The alumni community chat
A personal portfolio presentation
Your qualification is confirmed by a certificate of completion
On completion OnStudy issues an OnStudy certificate of completion, which you can show an employer.
You receive a document confirming that you have completed the Laboratory of Abstract Art programme
Frequently asked questions
What skills do I need to take the programme?
No special skills are needed. The programme suits any level, including complete beginners.
Can I pause my studies and come back later?
Yes. To pause the programme, write to info@onstudy.org. On plans with feedback, a pause is possible by agreement with the tutor. Access is restored manually once you write to us again; the gap between the end of the pause and your message is not compensated.
Will I get a document confirming that I completed the programme?
Yes — on completion you receive an OnStudy certificate of completion.
What is the schedule? Can I fit it around a job?
The programme is flexible, with no hard deadlines. It is built for a busy schedule and fits easily around a job.
How many hours a week does it take?
The typical load is three to six hours a week. You set the pace yourself.
How can I pay for the programme?
All methods are available: bank cards, bank transfer for companies, instalments.
How do instalments work and on what terms?
Payment in instalments can be arranged. Terms are individual — discuss them with a consultant after your enquiry.
Do I need experience or an art-school background?
No. Abstraction is one of the most accessible ways into art: the Laboratory works from any level, including with no academic training behind you.
What format do the classes take?
Ten live online lectures. The Researcher and VIP plans add live Q&A sessions, and VIP also includes a personal review of your work.
What if I do not like the programme?
You can pause or end your studies by writing to info@onstudy.org.
Can I get a refund if the programme is not right for me?
A refund is possible. Check the terms with our manager.
Can you help me choose the right programme?
Yes. Send an enquiry and we will suggest a programme based on your goals, level and schedule.
How can my employer pay for the programme?
Companies can pay by bank transfer. We provide all documents and payment details once you get in touch.
Programme price
Instalments by arrangement.
- Ten live lectures: the language of abstraction, the 21st century, the art market
- Access to the programme's extra materials
- A creative community and support from curators
Enrol, or book a free consultation
Enter your name, email and phone number *
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