Greek billionaire donates sculptures, multimedia works to Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dozens of unique and colorful works of art are coming to Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art as part of an extraordinary gift from a Greek billionaire.
Hes donating around a hundred pieces to the museum and hundreds more to museums around the world. CBS 2's Marie Saavedra spoke to Dimitris Daskalopoulops and found out he considers himself more than an art collector -- he's an art lover.
Some of the works are from artists including Wangechi Mutu, Robert Gober, Jannis Kounellis, Marina Abramović & Ulay, Sarah Lucas, Ernesto Neto and Kiki Smith.
The art will be jointly owned by Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and New York's Guggenheim Museum. The two museums are still working out when the art will be displayed and where.
According to a news release, artworks from the D.Daskalopoulos Collection will go to four museums in three countries, including the United Kingdom and Greece.
Daskalopoulos said "I believe that collectors bear a responsibility towards the artworks in their collection and their artists: collectors are beholden to attend to the future of their collection with the same care and attention they invested in creating it. Art takes its meaning and exerts its influence only through its interaction with the public. This has led to my decision to gift the better part of my collection to important contemporary art museums, so that they are cared for and preserved for future generations, so that the works are accessible to a broad audience, and so that they will remain in dialogue with the art of the future. This act transforms a private collection into a public resource."
