Dimitris Daskalopoulos announced on April 13th, 2022, the donation of a major body from the D. Daskalopoulos Collection of modern art to leading institutions in Athens, Chicago, New York and the United Kingdom. A private collection becomes a resource for the public benefit.
Over 350 works by 142 artists from the Collection are to be gifted, including 140 to EMST, around 100 jointly to the Guggenheim and MCA Chicago, and 110 to Tate, creating a pioneering network of collaborations and synergies.
Started in 1994, the D. Daskalopoulos Collection is today an extended yet focused collection of contemporary art by leading international and Greek artists. The artworks included in the Collection are drawn from the artistic practice of recent decades and focus on the human body as a source of creativity and the vessel of existential, social and ideological struggle. The Collection’s inner compass is orientated towards the most elemental and universal issues of the human condition. The Collection gives particular prominence to large scale installations and sculptures, as well as drawing, collage, film and video.
TATE Mona Hatoum Current Disturbance, 1996 Wood, wire mesh, light bulbs, computerized dimmer switch, amplifier and four speakers
Exhibitions of the D. Daskalopoulos Collection have taken place at the Whitechapel Gallery, London (2010-2011); Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2011) and Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2012-2013).
Important artists in the Collection include; Marina Abramović, Kutluğ Ataman, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Vlassis Caniaris, Helen Chadwick, Paul Chan, Bruce Conner, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Robert Gober, David Hammons, Mona Hatoum, Isaac Julien, Jannis Kounellis, Stathis Logothetis, Sarah Lucas, Paul McCarthy, Steve McQueen, Ana Mendieta, Marisa Merz, Annette Messager, Wangechi Mutu, Ernesto Neto, Rivane Neuenschwander, Cornelia Parker, Pipilotti Rist, Dieter Roth, Doris Salcedo, Kiki Smith and Paul Thek.
TATE Vlassis Caniaris The Big Swing, 1974 Mixed media
TATE Helen Chadwick Piss Flowers 1-12, 1991 Bronze, cellulose lacquer and hand-woven carpet sculptures
For almost 30 years, Dimitris Daskalopoulos has stood with a sense of responsibility to share art with the wider public, in an attempt to express his deep admiration for human creativity and his belief that art can inspire people and create a social consciousness. He has been very active in the artworld by donating to museums and supporting exhibitions and also through the open lending policy of the Collection and the creation of NEON, a foundation that shares contemporary art with a Greek audience.
TATE Paul McCarthy Tomato Head (Burgundy), 1994 Fiberglass, urethane plastic, rubber, metal, and clothing
MCA & GUGGENHEIM Ernesto Neto It Happens When The Body Is Anatomy Of Time, 2000 Lycra tulle, clove, cumin and turmeric
MCA & GUGGENHEIM Sarah Lucas Bunny Gets Snookered #10, 1997 Tan tights, red stockings, chair, steel clamp, kapok and wire
TATE Isaac Julien Paradise Omeros, 2002 Triple DVD projection, 16mm film transferred to DVD
“My interest in art has not been limited to the framework of building a collection. Its main characteristic has been the constant pursuit of being in touch with the beauty of art and the joy and inspiration that this contact brings”. Dimitris Daskalopoulos
“I believe that collectors bear a responsibility towards the artworks in their collection and their artists: collectors are beholden to attend to the future of their collection with the same care and attention they invested in creating it. Art takes its meaning and exerts its influence only through its interaction with the public. This has led to my decision to giſt the better part of my collection to important contemporary art museums, so that they are cared for and preserved for future generations, so that the works are accessible to a broad audience, and so that they will remain in dialogue with the art of the future. This act transforms a private collection into a public resource”. Dimitris Daskalopoulos
For further information on the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Giſt:
www.ddcollection.org/en/the-giſt
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