Dimitris Daskalopoulos is a renowned Greek entrepreneur, whose passion for contemporary art led him to create an impressive collection of over 500 pieces, comprising about 220 artists. His interest in art has been manifested since childhood, at the age of just 12, when he spent two hours completely enchanted by Rubens’ paintings at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. His first acquisition took place in 1994 when he obtained Rebecca Horn’s “The Painting in the Inner Egg” (1993). Subsequently, he laid the foundations of the Dimitris Daskalopoulos Collection, the completion of which took place over two decades. It is admirable in terms of variety, the collector choosing his works regardless of the size or materials from which they were made.
As early as 2014, Dimitris Daskalopoulos stated in an interview with a Greek newspaper that he planned to donate his collection to certain institutions once it was completed. In September 2021, Daskalopoulos confirmed to Artsy: “My collection is large enough and important enough to draw attention to what will happen to it in the future.” The decision was made, and on April 13, 2022, the collector announced the fate of 350 works, made by 142 artists.
He will donate 140 pieces to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens (EMST), 110 works to the Tate Museum, as well as 100 works to the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Each institution was given time to analyze its archives to avoid duplication of certain works that were already in their collections. Museums have also had the opportunity to refuse works that would be too difficult to maintain, such as large installations.
Dimitris’ cultural contribution to these institutions is remarkable, most of the works being made by some of the most important contemporary artists of the last decades: Marina Abramović, Matthew Barney, Isaac Julien, Jannis Kounellis, Sarah Lucas, Paul McCarthy, Steve McQueen, Paul Thek. The collection has also been featured in exhibitions by some of the most relevant institutions in the world, such as the Whitechapel Gallery in London (2010-2011), the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (2011), and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh (2012-2013).
The decision to make this donation greatly excites Dimitris, as he states, as he can make the works of some of the most prominent artists in the world accessible to the public. Looking at his resolve with confidence, Daskalopoulos looks forward to watching how museums interact with the works and participating in discussions with artists, curators, and the public – activities he thinks are “more fun than collecting”.
“I’m not an artist. I cannot even draw a square. But this collection is what I am saying about contemporary art. The collection is my creation,” says Daskalopoulos.
Cover photo: Independent Collectors
