Dasha Zhukova gets Nicholas Serota in Hot Water

Dasha Zhukova has quickly become the Face of the art market because she’s an attractive Russian with ambitions in the art world and a strong connection to Roman Abramovich. Whether the market is entirely in the thrall of Anglo-Russo expatriates or not, her every move has become the center of gravity for the market.

Into that vortex comes Nicholas Serota, artistic director of the Tate in London, who has begun to act as an adviser to Ms. Zhukova’s new Moscow gallery, the Center for Contemporary Culture. The measure of outrage in this Telegraph article suggests the issue is less Serota’s role than a growing unease among the British about the Russians and their influence.

Michael Dayley, director of Art Watch UK, said: “It just shows how seriously interlocked the public and private have become under Serota’s regime. There was a time when the gallery just wanted to collect art.

“Now Serota wants to project himself as a major player on the art scene. But that is not his job. He is supposed to be running a publicly-funded gallery.

“I think there is too much deference in government towards the art world, which means Serota does what he likes and no one says anything.”