Damien Hurst: death - this is true!
ARTinvestment.RU   18 июня 2008

Hurst Demien going to open a museum of works of modern art combined theme of death

According to masdearte.com , the current British artist Damien Hurst, famous for its installation on medical topics, sharks in formaldehyde and skull with diamonds, is going to open its own museum.

Hurst - one of the major collectors of contemporary art in Britain. His collection includes works of such famous artists as Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol, as well as friends of the movement of Young British Artists (YBA, «Young British Artists»), scandalous artists Tracy Emin and Sarah Lucas. In addition, Hurst often buys the classical art of XX century - for example, in November last year, he bought a self-portrait of Francis Bacon (20 million euros). The collection of works by Hirst many modern art: last year he bought a decent amount of street-art star Banksy and Paul Insect. The latter apparently particularly liked «young British artist»: his paintings and collages, exhibited last summer at an exhibition in London Lazarides Gallery, now located in Hurst in the assembly. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Insect, and Hurst, likes skulls. «Almost all the work that I have acquired, on the theme of death», - said in an interview with the British provocateur The Guardian, adding that calls to its collection Murderme - «Ubeymenya». In late 2006 - early 2007, Hurst has organized an exhibition of works from his collection in the Serpentine Gallery in London.

In 2005, the former leader of the movement YBA bought an old house in the county Glostershir Toddington, where he wants in the future to show his collection. «Works on the theme of death», probably will look good in the interiors of Toddington Manor. Castle in the Gothic style was built in the early XIX century, Charles Henberi-Tracy, a politician and one of the chairman of the committee, responsible for the choice of architectural solutions for the renovation of the British Parliament.

Hurst - not the only modern artist with ambitions megakollektsionera. Now New York's Metropolitan Museum of an exhibition of sculptures of another businessman of Art - American Jeff Koons. Along with his work, exhibiting works of art from his collection. «Singer consumer society», in contrast to Hirst, collects not only the works of contemporary art, but also paintings by old masters. In April, Koons bought at Christie's auction the work of Dutch by Cornelius van Haarlem. Now picture in 1590 «Heracles and Aheloy» can be seen in the same building as the famous «inflatable dog» American pop provocateur. Organizers are confident that the art of Koons, who began his career with the copying of old masters paintings, viewers will be more understandable if the show of his collecting tastes. In addition to the Dutch Renaissance style, the collection of the pop artist's works include Gustave Courbet, Salvador Dali, Thomas stratum, and other famous artists.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: masdearte.com , artnews.com , polit.ru , guardian.co.uk , metmuseum.org , nytimes.com , artinvestment . ru