Lazy Mike Gallery was founded in 2018 by Mikhail Ovcharenko and Tatiana Melnikova. For three years the gallery organised local and international pop-up shows, including in Los Angeles. In 2020 the gallery opened its own space. In October 2022 the gallery relocated to Riga.

Lazy Mike is a multifunctional project, which combines the functions of exhibition space and agency to represent the interests of international artists of different generations and conceptual preferences.

— Mikhail Ovcharenko & Тatiana Melnikova
«We believe in democratisation of art and and it is a priority to us to bring people to realization that art, which we see as something capable of stimulating moral growth, is not less important than accumulation of material goods. We believe that no matter what’s happening in the world the main role of art is to connect people and to help to get rid of the borders.»
— Mikhail Ovcharenko & Тatiana Melnikova

founders

Prior to founding Lazy Mike, Mikhail Ovcharenko was director and partner of Regina Gallery. Ovcharenko also serves on the board of acquisitions for the Zuzeum Art Centre in Riga, Latvia. Tatiana Melnikova worked on a television series and scriptwriting.

artists

Lazy Mike works with 11 emerging and mid-career artists whose works are in public collections both private and museum all over the world.

philanthropy

Since June 2021 the founders have supported Alyona Popova's project You're Not Alone. The organisation supports domestic violence laws in Russia, works to prevent violence agains women and gives aid to women in need after sustaining severe acts of violence. Lazy Mike has hosted group shows with female artists where all gallery sales went towards supporting You're Not Alone. Lazy Mike gallery never supported Russian government nor received any grants or other financial assistance and have been demonstrating against the regime since 2011. While attending the NADA Fair in New York 2022, following Russian invasion to Ukraine, founders of Lazy Mike Gallery made a statement in support of Ukraine, and 50% of the sales were donated to the Ukrainian Emergency Art Fund.

education

Apart from organising exhibitions and representing artists, the gallery is engaged in various educational activities. The gallery's mission lies in the education in the visual arts which in the opinion of its founders is no less important than running a commercial gallery.

Our team

Mikhail Ovcharenko
Co-founder
Mikhail Ovcharenko
Tatiana Melnikova
Co-founder
Tatiana Melnikova
Anna Kapba
Manager
Anna Kapba
We use cookies
Cookies enhance your experience, tailor your ads and improve our website
Accept
Decline
Subscribe to receive latest news on our exhibitions and artists
Please enter correct email address
logo