Victor Pinchuk’s Museum Moves Closer to Becoming Reality

John Varoli reports in Bloomberg on the Ukrainian art magnate, Victor Pinchuk, and his announcement of the hiring of a new director for his museum with this Hirst-related tease:

“Over the past year, I’ve acquired works by my favorite artists,” said Pinchuk in his downtown Kiev home. “I bought Gursky, Koons, Murakami, Hirst, and Kiefer. Yes, I bought at the recent Hirst auction, but I won’t name works. You must wait until spring when I’ll display new acquisitions.” [ . . . ]

Pinchuk spoke in an interview as he named Eckhard Schneider director of his Kiev art center. The Ukrainian’s collection includes some of the most expensive living artists: Hirst, Jeff Koons and German photographer Andreas Gursky.

“Victor Pinchuk is having a great impact on the market,” said Simon de Pury, chairman of the auction house Phillips de Pury & Co., at the opening of a Gursky show at the center. “Ever since he opened the center, others in Ukraine and Russia have emulated him and taken an interest in contemporary art.” [ . . . ] “The contemporary art market in both Ukraine and Russia has really taken off in the past two years, and I expect this growth to continue,” De Pury of Phillips said.

London’s Evening Standard blog, This is London, cranks up the hype with its own version of this same story, complete with identical quotes.

Billionaire Pinchuk Buys Hirst Works; Names New Museum Director (Bloomberg)

Secret Hirst Buyer is Ukrainian Steel Tycoon (This is London)