CHARLES SAACHI DONATES COLLECTION TO THE NATION

CELEBRATED ART COLLECTOR CHARLES SAATCHI IS GIFTING MORE THAN 200 WORKS, INCLUDING TRACEY EMIN'S UNMADE BED, AND HIS SAATCHI GALLERY TO THE NATION. THE WORKS, BY ARTISTS INCLUDING MISS EMIN, JAKE 7 DINOS CHAPAM AND GRAYSON PERRY, ARE WORTH MORE THAN £25 MILLION. THE SAATCHI GALLERY I CHELSEA WILL BECOME THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LONDON (MOCA LONDON). THE WORKS WILL BE DONATED TO THE MOCA LONDON FOUNDATION AND THE SAATCHI IS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, WHICH WOULD OWN THE COLLECTION ON BEHALF OF THE NATION. THE PERMANENT COLLECTION THAT SAATCHI IS GIFTING INCLUDES THE RICHARD WILSON OIL ROOM INSTALLATION AND EMIN'S SIGNATURE WORK 'MY BED'. THE CHAPMAN BROTHERS' WORK TRAGIC ANATOMIES, WITH MUTATED MANNEQUINS FROLICKING IN A GARDEN SETTING, LAST SEEN IN THE SENSATION EXHIBITION, WILL BE ANOTHER MAJOR HOLDING. THESE AND OTHER WORKS GIFTED TO THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE LENT TO OTHER GALLERIES FOR EXHIBITION. A STATEMENT ISSUED ON THE COLLECTOR'S BEHALF SAID: 'SAATCHI'S VIEW IS THAT IT IS VITAL FOR THE MUSEUM ALWAYS TO BE ABLE TO DISPLAY A 'LIVING' AND EVOLVING COLLECTION OF WORK, RATHER THAN AN ARCHIVE OF ART HISTORY.' ALONGSIDE A PERMANENT COLLECTION, THE GIFT WILL INCLUDE SEVERAL WORKS THE MUSEUM CAN SELL, USING THE MONEY RAISED TO ACQUIRE NEW WORKS. NEW ACQUISITIONS WILL BE ADDED TO THE FOUNDATION'S HOLDINGS TO ENABLE THE MUSEUM TO REMAIN INVOLVED IN SPEARHEADING THE 'NEWEST DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY ART'. THIS WOULD CONTINUE IN THE TRADITIONS FOLLOWED BY THE SAATCHI GALLERY SINCE IT BEGAN PRESENTING PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AGO. THE LONDON GALLERY SAT IN FIRST PLACE OUT OF THE UK ATTRACTIONS IN A RECENT LEAGUE TABLE OF GLOBAL EXHIBITION AND MUSEUM ATTENDANCE FIGURES CARRIED OUT BY THE ART NEWSPAPER. THE STATEMENT SAID THE SAATCHI GALLERY'S MANAGEMENT TEAM WILL ENSURE THAT THE MUSEUM WILL CONTINUE TO BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC, AND RUN AS IT IS TODAY BY SECURING SPONSORSHIP, AND BY USING REVENUES FROM ITS FACILITIES AND EVENTS. THE MUSEUM WILL AIM TO CONTINUE COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER GALLERIES IN THE UK AND AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE STATE HERMITAGE IN ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, FOR WHICH IT HAS PRODUCED EXHIBITIONS OF RECENT US AND UK ART.