Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Saatchi rues lost art of conversation as gallery donation talks collapse

Tom Peck
Monday 06 September 2010 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Charles Saatchi's pledge to donate his gallery and modern art collection to the public is in jeopardy after talks with the Arts Council broke down.

Mr Saatchi announced the proposal in July, which would include 200 works of contemporary art valued at around £25m. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt called the gift, including Tracey Emin's My Bed, an "act of incredible generosity".

It is not clear why the talks failed, but it is understood that the idea of part-financing the institution after it had been handed over by buying and selling items from the donated collection runs against the code of ethics set out by the Museums' Association.

When the proposal was announced the gallery said in a statement that Saatchi felt it was "vital for the museum always to be able to display a living and evolving collection of work, rather than an archive of art history".

The intention to buy and sell items for the collection would ensure that, when Saatchi retired, the gallery would have "a strong, rotating permanent collection of major installations".

The plan also raised concerns that the creation of a new, contemporary art museum would duplicate the role of the Tate Modern.

The Saatchi Gallery's talks have now resumed with a separate, non-publicly funded arts organisation.

A spokeswoman for Mr Saatchi said: "There is nothing more to say for the time being but hopefully [there will be] in the next few weeks".

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said it would not give a "running commentary" on discussions. "Ministers made clear in July that they very much welcome the announcement by Charles Saatchi of his intention to donate his collection to the nation," read the DCMS statement.

"Any donation of this type involves a range of logistical issues and the details of how it will best be taken forward have not been finalised." Under the plans, the 70,000 sq ft Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, owned by Cadogan Estate, would become the Museum of Contemporary Art for London (Moca London). The 200 work permanent collection would also include Tragic Anatomies, by Jake and Dinos Chapman, which features mutated mannequins in a garden, and an installation by Emily Prince made up of thousands of drawings of US military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Damien Hirst's The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, more commonly known as the "Shark in Formaldehyde" is another work in Mr Saatchi's collection

When the plan was announced in July, the gallery's managers said they would raise money to allow for free entrance from sponsorhip and by hosting events.

It was promised that "no charges will fall to the state" in the process of handing over the collection.

Mr Saatchi, 67, would also continue to own many hundreds of works himself, it continued, "which will be passed to his family on his death".

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in