RUSSIA: Dasha Zhukova's 'Garage' gallery brings impressive range of contemporary art from Christie's owner Francois Pinault's collection

Record ID: 583200

  • Title: RUSSIA: Dasha Zhukova's 'Garage' gallery brings impressive range of contemporary art from Christie's owner Francois Pinault's collection
  • Date: 21st March 2009
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MARCH 19, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF 'GARAGE' CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART CLOSE-UP OF HISTORIC BUS GARAGE SIGN ON GALLERY EXTERIOR WIDE OF GALLERY INTERIOR WORKS OF ART ON DISPLAY CLOSE OF 'HANGING HEART (RED/GOLD' BY JEFF KOONS 'CATERPILLAR CHAINS' BY JEFF KOONS WIDE PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'GARAGE' CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART FOUNDER DASHA ZHUKOVA SAYING "We're delighted to present such a comprehensive selection of works from large-scale installations, monumental sculptures, video arts and painting, encompassing the widest range of different media and art forms, I hope the show will be exciting for our visitors and will provide a fascinating insight into one of the world's most important contemporary collections. " FRANCOIS PINAULT SEATED IN BRIEFING CLOSE OF PINAULT JOURNALISTS AT BRIEFING (*** flash photography ***) 'GARAGE' INTERNATIONAL CURATOR MOLLIE DENT-BROCKLEHURST (LEFT OF FRAME), PINAULT, ZHUKOVA AND CURATOR CAROLINE BOURGEOIS (RIGHT OF FRAME) POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'GARAGE' CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART FOUNDER DASHA ZHUKOVA SAYING " I think art is a great tool in bridging different cultures and helping people understand the other mentalities out there and I think this exhibition is a great example of that." PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'GARAGE' CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART FOUNDER DASHA ZHUKOVA, ANSWERING REPORTER'S QUESTION ON WHETHER SHE ENJOYS GOING TO SOCCER MATCHES AT STAMFORD BRIDGE, SAYING : " I think all I'll say is I'm a big Chelsea fan and we'll leave it at that." (SOUNDBITE) CHRISTIE'S OWNER FRANCOIS PINAULT SAYING: "Moscow is in the process of taking its place and it's an important place for the development of contemporary art in the world, that's what matters and what is important" WIDE OF INSTALLATION 'SOD AND SODIE SOCK COMP.O.S.O.' BY PAUL MCCARTHY AND MIKE KELLEY DETAIL OF INSTALLATION 'SOD AND SODIE SOCK COMP.O.S.O.' PILE OF BLOCKS OF BUTTER - PART OF INSTALLATION 'SOD AND SODIE SOCK COMP.O.S.O.' DETAIL OF INSTALLATION 'SOD AND SODIE SOCK COMP.O.S.O.' CLOSE OF BOXES ON FLOOR IN INSTALLATION 'SOD AND SODIE SOCK COMP.O.S.O.' WIDE OF GALLERY 'THE WAY HOME I ' BY SUBODH GUPTA DETAIL OF 'THE WAY HOME I ' (SOUNDBITE) (French) CURATOR OF 'A CERTAIN STATE OF THE WORLD?' SHOW, VIDEO CURATOR FOR FRANCOIS PINAULT COLLECTION, SAYING: "Since I came to Moscow and in these last three weeks, through the people I have met, I have understood one thing that it is very rare to see - or there is almost no contemporary art in Moscow and I imagine in Russia as a whole, and so this has become a kind of special event, something I didn't understand up till now." INSTALLATION ' JUE CHANG, DANCING BODY - DRUMMING MIND (THE LAST SONG' BY CHEN ZEN DETAIL OF ' JUE CHANG, DANCING BODY - DRUMMING MIND (THE LAST SONG' FIGURES BY TAKASHI MURAKAMI DETAIL OF FIGURE ' INOCHI' BY TAKASHI MURAKAMI DETAIL OF FIGURE ' INOCHI' BY TAKASHI MURAKAMI ART CORRESPONDENT FOR RUSSIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER 'KOMMERSANT' MILENA ORLOVA SEATED WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ART CORRESPONDENT FOR RUSSIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER 'KOMMERSANT' MILENA ORLOVA SAYING: "I think this show of pieces from the Francois Pinault collection is important for Moscow in the sense that Moscow does not have good contemporary art museums, we have a lot of museums but in all these museums there is a lack of western art." VARIOUS OF INSTALLATION 'WHOSE UTOPIA?' BY CAO FEI DETAIL OF 'PRACTICE ZERO TOLERANCE (BMW) ' BY ABDEL ABDESSEMED. WIDE OF GALLERY
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2009 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVADBTLO9B9SYDV6JKDY744JES8F
  • Story Text: The latest exhibition unveiled on Thursday (March19) at Daria Zhukova's 'Garage' gallery in Moscow, brought contemporary art from the collection of Christie's owner Francois Pinault to the Russian capital.
    French billionnaire Pinault joined Zhukova for the show's opening in the 'Garage' Centre for Contemporary Culture.
    Called 'A Certain State of the World?', the show displayed works throughout the vast space, some 8,500 square metres, of 'Garage', formerly the Bakhmetevsky Bus Depot, designed by architect Konstantin Melnikov.
    Five pieces by Koons, including the chromium stainless steel "Hanging Heart (Red/Gold)" were amongst the better known works being shown, but Zhukova was keen to emphasise the range of art in the show.

    "We're delighted to present such a comprehensive selection of works from large-scale installations, monumental sculptures, video arts and painting, encompassing the widest range of different media and art forms, I hope the show will be exciting for our visitors and will provide a fascinating insight into one of the world's most important contemporary collections, " she said at a press briefing held inside a light installation by US artist Dan Flavin.
    Work by 33 international artists is on display, representing one of the biggest exhibitions of contemporary art brought to Russia outside the relatively young Moscow Biennale.

    "I think art is a great tool in bridging different cultures and helping people understand the other mentalities out there and I think this exhibition is a great example of that," said Zhukova, who refuses to discuss her relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

    "I think all I'll say is I'm a big Chelsea fan and we'll leave it at that," was all the 27-year-old former model would say to a reporter to asked if she enjoyed watching matches at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home ground.
    All the works at 'Garage' are from the Francois Pinault Foundation contemporary art collection, which comprises more than 2,000 artworks.
    Pinault, owner of London-based auction house Christies, lent his support to Zhukova's exhibition.
    Pinault said he appreciated the tradition of art in Moscow's cultural life and could see its role increasing on the international art stage.

    "Moscow is in the process of taking its place and it's an important place for the development of contemporary art in the world, that's what matters and what is important", said Pinault.
    'A Certain State of the World?' was curated by Caroline Bourgeois, also video curator for Pinault's art collection.
    Bourgeois created the show around three themes - 'war, our society of spectacle and the world at large'.
    One of the most monumental pieces in the show is a recreation of a military 'boot camp', by US artists Paul McCarthy and Mike Kelley, called 'Sod and Sodie Sock Comp.o.s.o.', which uses military tents, a mountain of butter and video films of masked soldiers creating oatmeal sculptures.
    During her work in Moscow, Bourgeois said she came to understand the exhibition would be a special event in the cultural life of the Russian capital.

    "Since I came to Moscow and in these last three weeks, through the people I have met, I have understood one thing that it is very rare to see - or there is almost no contemporary art in Moscow and I imagine in Russia as a whole, and so this has become a kind of special event, something I didn't understand up till now", she said.
    Russian art critic and art correspondent for the newspaper 'Kommersant', Milena Orlova agrees.

    "I think this show of pieces from the Francois Pinault collection is important for Moscow in the sense that Moscow does not have good contemporary art museums, we have a lot of museums but in all these museums there is a lack of western art,"
    said Orlova.
    Other artists with work in the show include Bill Viola, Takashi Murakami, Shirin Neshat, Cao Fei, Cindy Sherman and Abdel Abdessemed.
    Francois Pinault plans to open an arts centre in June this year at the Punta della Dogana in Venice.
    Zhukova, grew up and was educated in California. Sheo owns a fashion line, Kova & T, was recently named chief editor of the British fashion magazine, Pop.
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