Collector Daskalopoulos donates part of his collection to four museums
“It's the start of a new life for my collection,” enthuses collector and businessman Daskalopoulos (65). Of the approximately 500 works of contemporary art he owns, he will donate 350 to the National museum of contemporary art in Athens, the Tate Modern in London, the Guggenheim in NY and the Museum of Contemporary art in Chicago. They are essentially sculptures and installations, signed Kiki Smith, Gilbert & George, Mike Kelley, Matthew Barney or Annette Messager.
Born in Athens, Dimitris Daskalopoulos began his career at Delta Holdings Vivartia, the family business which is Greece's largest food conglomerate. He was its chairman for a long time. This is where he made his fortune. Then he founded the audit company diaNEOsis and the financial services company DAMMA Holdings, of which he is the current president. Dimitris Daskalopoulos has been collecting contemporary art since 1994. An art whose appreciation and understanding he seeks to "widen the appreciation and understanding" to as many people as possible, thanks to the NEON foundation he created in Athens in 2015.
London and Athens museums will receive 110 and 140 works of art respectively. Those of New York and Chicago become the co-owners of 200 works of art. An unprecedented partnership for these two institutions which will share the maintenance costs and exchange the works. “This arrangement makes me very happy. I want these works to become accessible to a wider audience,” says the collector. It's a "home run" (a winning shot in baseball) adds the director of the New York museum Richard Armstrong. An “important step […] in our rapidly evolving sector” continues the director of the Chicago museum Madeleine Grynsztejn.
This is a godsend for the Athens museum, which is recovering from a very long period of uncertainty. "As Greece emerges from the crisis, the museum has just launched a new phase with a new artistic program," said Katerina Gregos, artistic director of the Athens museum. "The donation does not only concern the museum and the field of culture, but also has an impact on the city itself, improving the competitiveness of its cultural services" , specifies the Greek Minister of Culture and Transport Lina Mendoni.
Dimitris Daskalopoulos has been involved in these museums for a long time. He has already helped the Athens museum to enrich its collections. And he sits on the boards of the other three.
“I never felt like I owned my works of art. They belong to the creators forever. A work of art only has meaning for me if it is seen, if it interacts with the viewer and creates emotions. […] I donate the works where they will have the possibility of being seen by many people and will be better preserved” , he confides.
Seen in Le Journal des arts- Paul Berat
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