Sunday, 13 April 2003
As Charles Saatchi makes final adjustments to the opening displays in his new gallery this weekend, two of his most celebrated protégés are threatening to spoil the party.
As Charles Saatchi makes final adjustments to the opening displays in his new gallery this weekend, two of his most celebrated protégés are threatening to spoil the party.
Chris Ofili, the Turner Prize-winning artist renowned for his innovative use of elephant dung, is preparing to sell one of his most impressive works to Saatchi's arch-rival, the Tate.
Meanwhile, Damien Hirst, Saatchi's most famous "find", has dismissed the new gallery – which launches this week – as "pointless" and "a waste of time".
The artist has also confirmed that he will miss its opening night – despite the fact that its first exhibition will be a retrospective of his work.
Hirst told Time Out magazine: "I think it [the gallery] is pointless. Most of the work has been shown two or three times already. It's a waste of time."
Saatchi is said to be unflustered by the twin snubs. However, they are bound to take the shine off the launch of the millionaire advertising tycoon's much-anticipated new gallery, which officially opens on Thursday at County Hall, the cavernous former GLC headquarters on London's South Bank.
The piece Ofili is planning to sell to the Tate is Upper Room, a collection of 13 paintings of monkeys based loosely on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
When shown at the Victoria Miro Gallery last July, it was widely acclaimed, with critics dubbing it "monkey magic" and praising the way it "pulses with energy".
At the time, Ofili, a publicity-shy individual, made it known through the gallery that he wanted Upper Room to end up on display in a public institution.
Now it has emerged that Sir Nicholas Serota, the director of the Tate, has approached private patrons to ask them to help raise the money needed to buy the paintings.
As Ofili is a member of the Tate's board, the gallery is not allowed to use its own acquisition fund to secure his work. However, it is understood that the artist has agreed to hold back from selling Upper Room to any other buyer until the Tate has been given a chance to drum up its estimated seven-figure asking price.
Neither the Tate nor Victoria Miro galleries would comment on the prospective purchase, but sources told The Independent on Sunday: "The Tate is very keen to buy Upper Room, and it's been talking to some of its supporters about making donations towards its cost.
"Chris has made it clear he wants it in a public institution – not in the Saatchi Gallery – and he has agreed to wait while the Tate tries to raise the money."
Though Hirst and Ofili may not be giving the new gallery their personal endorsement, it features plenty of their work.
Among the Hirst works on show are his infamous sliced cow and shark in formaldehyde, and Hymn, the giant plastic anatomical doll Saatchi bought for £1m.
Ofili, meanwhile, is represented by Holy Virgin Mary, the notorious "elephant dung madonna" painting condemned as "sick stuff" by Mayor Giuliani when it was displayed in New York as part of the Sensation exhibition.
Not all of Saatchi's Britart discoveries have put a dampener on his latest project. Tracey Emin, who once condemned his work on the Conservative Party's 1980s election campaigns, even as he bought her unmade bed for £125,000, said last week: "I think the new gallery is fantastic – much better than I expected it to be."
Sadie Coles, another artist said to have questioned the nature of Saatchi's patronage of the arts in the past, commented: "I had reservations, but I think Saatchi's new gallery is fantastic, an incredibly personal vision.
"Saatchi is treating the art of the Nineties generation like Old Masters. He has the best work by the artists he believes in and you can see his commitment."
Britons spent £6.7bn on art last year – more than ever before – a new survey has revealed, writes Malaika Costello-Dougherty.
This figure represents £180 for every man, woman and child in the UK.
The findings come in a poll commissioned by Prospects 2003, an annual nationwide arts prize.
"The public no longer feels threatened by contemporary art, but sees it as something that they can understand and enjoy," said Susie Allen, chair of Prospects 2003.
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