The D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift is a group of contemporary artworks donated to Tate in 2023. Featuring over 110 works by 53 artists, the strengths of the collection are in its many installations and sculptures in complex materials, though it also includes historically significant works on paper and of time-based media.
The works explore ideas of what it is to be human. This is addressed through the representation of bodily forms and references to psychological struggle and contemplation, often in humorous and thought-provoking ways. Many of the works have immersive qualities that encourage the viewer to think about their own physical selves within an installation environment.
The donation has transformed the way Tate is able to represent the practices of such artists as Matthew Barney, Vlassis Caniaris, Robert Gober, David Hammons, Martin Kippenberger, Pipilotti Rist and Rosemarie Trockel. Artists in the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift whose works join Tate’s collection for the first time include Heidi Bucher, Paul Chan, Bruce Conner, Maro Michalakakos, Paul Pfeiffer, Paul Thek and Adrián Villar Rojas.
The D.Daskalopoulos Collection was originally started in Greece in 1994, by the entrepreneur and art collector Dimitris Daskalopoulos. It has contributed key loans to major institutional monographic and group exhibitions around the world.
During this earlier phase, dedicated exhibitions of the D.Daskalopoulos Collection were staged at the Whitechapel Gallery, London (2010–2011); Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (2011); and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2012–2013).
In April 2022, it was announced that 350 artworks from the D.Daskalopoulos Collection would be distributed across four museums in three countries over two continents, with the ambition to create an innovative network for institutional collaboration and knowledge exchange. Now known as the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift, it is made up of three distinct groupings of works which were bestowed upon the following museums:
- Tate, United Kingdom (over 110 works)
- The National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (EMST), Greece (140 works)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York and Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago (joint gift) (100 works)
At the announcement, Dimitris Daskalopoulos stated:
'My interest in art has not been limited to the framework of building a collection. Its main characteristic has been the constant pursuit of being in touch with the beauty of art and the joy and inspiration that this contact brings.
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.'
Through the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift, significant works of art can be enjoyed by visitors to Tate’s permanent collection displays. Through Tate’s active lending policy, the works will have visibility in exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom and overseas.
The works provide an exceptional opportunity for conservation research, learning, and for encouraging broader thinking around what it means for a national public collection to care for such artworks in perpetuity.
Dr Maria Balshaw CBE, Director of Tate, said:
'This gift is an extraordinary act of generosity by Dimitris Daskalopoulos and it marks a significant moment for Tate’s collection. This is not only because of the large number of works involved, but also because of the exceptional calibre of the artists, from Louise Bourgeois to David Hammons to Mona Hatoum. Tate’s is a truly public collection, owned by and for the people, and these works will reach millions of visitors in our four galleries for generations to come. Even more importantly, our collection is a long-term resource for other museums to draw on, allowing us to reach even more people across the UK and the world each year.'
