closeicon
News

Charles Saatchi to sell art to keep free entry at gallery

Christie's will sell contemporary pieces at two auctions in London and New York

articlemain

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.

The last time Mr Saatchi auctioned a substantial part of his collection was in 2013, shortly after his divorce from Nigella Lawson.

Francis Outred, the head of postwar and contemporary art at Christie’s, told The Times that Mr Saatchi had a “firm grasp on the art of the future” and that the gallery had an important role in “allowing the public to see what’s being made today”.

He added: “If you are not going to charge for admission you have to find a way to support it. It is an expensive undertaking for any private entity.”

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive