Half - yes . From people - From magazines What I have first to say is that isolation still remains an important trait of an artist's life in Siberia. Regardless of whether political freedom is real, the great majority of artists just cannot afford the things that they are eager to have. For example, travel. Therefore, the main source of information is what others tell and retell.
Personal experience plays a minor role in obtaining knowledge of foreign artists.
Practically, only a couple of the respondents have traveled abroad, not to work, just to accompany exhibitions. The trips took place, by the way, before the crisis of 1998. Nowadays that would be more than problematic. Many Siberian artists do not believe that western artists have a better life. From the point of view of professionalism of their art, I would share the optimism.