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About the Foundation

Sharon Eyal’s *Autodance*. Photo: Karina Zhitkova
Sharon Eyal’s Autodance. Photo: Karina Zhitkova

Our mission

MART is an American non-profit organization that produces and supports contemporary performing arts programs globally. We curate an inventive and varied arts program, showcasing the very best of contemporary dance, theatre, and music. We collaborate with the world's leading art institutions as well as commission new artworks and introduce emerging talents alongside established artists to a global audience.


Our history

In 2018, producer Sofia Kapkova founded Modern Artlife Foundation (MART).

Always following my purpose to create interesting and ambitious cultural projects, I established MART Foundation, dedicated to promoting independent contemporary artists from Russia. Throughout the years, MART carried out many exciting and ambitious cultural projects.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has changed everything. In response to this unjustified military aggression, we took a stand against the war. Our team immediately halted our projects in Russia and left the country.

Having immersed ourselves in new cultural communities, we’ve shifted our focus to supporting artists in the United States, Europe, and Israel. Our new program creates new exposure for artists and new experiences for art lovers around the world.

Sofia Kapkova
Founder and CEO

MART Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that produces and supports contemporary performing arts programs globally. With a special focus on co-productions, MART co-produced the New York premiere of Our Class at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sharon Eyal’s Into The Hairy, Kirill Serebrennikov’s Outside with The Avignon Festival, Summer Snow for Batsheva Dance Company, and a digital version of the Song of Songs (SOS) cantata for the Baryshnikov Art Center. MART presented projects at Carnegie Hall, Sadler’s Wells, and the Barbican Centre, supported a new premieres program at the Israel Festival, and NDT 2 tour in Israel. Currently, MART is producing a new work by Akram Khan, featuring renowned artists from the world of classical ballet. By curating an inventive and varied arts program, MART strives to showcase the very best of contemporary theater, music, and dance.

Our team

Sofia Kapkova

Sofia Kapkova

Founder and CEO

Sofia Kapkova is a New York-based producer who has worked in the performing arts for many years. She is the founder of MART Foundation, a non-profit American organization that supports contemporary culture on the international stage. Sofia has managed a range of MART projects in England, France, Russia, Israel, and the United States, featuring projects at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sadler's Wells, Festival d'Avignon, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Orsolina28, and Carnegie Hall. Recently, MART co-produced the acclaimed Off-Broadway production Our Class, Sharon Eyal's Into The Hairy, Gibney Company's European tour at the Holland Dance Festival, and many more.

Lisa Rozov

Lisa Rozov

Head of Programs

Lisa Rozov is an arts producer and program manager based in Tel Aviv with over 15 years of experience developing and executing international projects across education, arts and creative industries.

Throughout her career, Lisa collaborated with leading international art institutions and brands, including National Ballet of Canada, Suzanne Dellal Centre, Batsheva Dance Company, Studio Wayne McGregor, Sadler’s Wells, National Portrait Gallery, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Carnegie Hall, NYU, Goldsmiths University London, Festival d’Avignon, British Council, Goethe Institute, Nike, and Edinburgh International Festival.

Her producing and programming portfolio includes Benjamin Britten’s Seasons in Russia, the launch of the Shakespeare train in the Moscow Metro, UK-Russia Year of Music, Selector PRO Conference for music professionals, head of Production at Context.Diana Vishneva; presenting works of Crystal Pite, Wayne McGregor, Azure Barton, Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Martha Graham, Mats Ek, Sharon Eyal co-productions, The Hitchcock 9 festival with British Film Institute, concerts of Morrisey, Massive Attack, Koreless, Dean Blunt, London contemporary orchestra, among others.

She also curated the Creative Bridge forum which spotlighted educational opportunities for the diverse communities of creative professionals.

Anastasia Gudkova

Anastasia Gudkova

Producer

Anastasia Gudkova is an arts producer and program coordinator based in New York. She graduated with a B.A. in philosophy from NYU in fall 2022.

Having worked at MART since 2019, Anastasia has been exposed to a number of aspects of the performing arts world. She has assisted in preparation for various projects in the US and internationally, including the co-production of ballet “Autodance” by Sharon Eyal at Stanislavskiy Music Theatre, digital world premiere of “SOS (Song of Songs)” with Baryshnikov Arts Center, and co-production of Ella Rothschild’s “Summer Snow” with the Batsheva Dance Company.

Most recently, Anastasia was the lead producer of Gibney Company’s first international tour in Israel and associate producer of the Off-Broadway production of OUR CLASS at BAM.

Anna Rylnikova

Anna Rylnikova

Marketing & Media Manager

Anna Rylnikova is a marketing and media manager based in Tel Aviv with a background in documentary films and performing arts projects. Prior to joining the MART team in 2021, she earned a media and communications degree at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and then worked as a marketing, brand, and social media manager for international cultural projects.

Her recent roles include leading the marketing and digital team for the Off-Broadway production of Our Class at BAM, Gibney Company’s first international tour in Israel and the realization of Remote Tel Aviv by Rimini Protokoll. During MART’s collaboration with the Stanislavskiy Music Theatre, she was involved in the restaging of Sharon Eyal’s Autodance, and the premiere of the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev. Her expertise also extends to social media management, demonstrated through her role in managingthe media platforms for the Context. Diana Vishneva Festival that she did until 2018.

In the film industry, she made an impact by launching acclaimed documentaries in the Russian market, including Varda by Agnes (2019), Woman (2019), Anne Frank Parallel Stories (2019), Halston (2019).

Gosha Chubukin

Gosha Chubukin

Graphic Design

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Support MART

Our work is made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of individuals and cultural institutions. We are able to provide programming to promote contemporary performing arts because of the financial support we receive from our community of patrons. Your contribution, in any amount, one-time or recurring, is appreciated.