Charles Saatchi is to sell off 100 pieces of art from his collection in order to keep his Chelsea gallery free for visitors.
The former advertising mogul and art collector, who was born to Iraqi Jewish parents, has periodically been forced to sell off parts of his collection for that purpose, according to The Times.
The Saatchi Gallery, located on the King’s Road, has hosted 15 of the capital’s top 20 most visited exhibitions of the past five years and welcomes about 1.5 million visitors annually. Its popularity has kept Mr Saatchi under increased pressure to keep the gallery free of charge.
The 73-year-old plans to sell off the valuable pieces at two auctions with Christie’s next month –one in London and one in New York. The sales will feature work from Turner Prize-nominated and cutting-edge artists, including the likes of Julia Dault, Anthea Hamilton, Laure Prouvost, Jon Rafman and Dana Schutz, who has exhibited at New York's Jewish Museum.
