LONDON. One of Britain’s biggest collectors of contemporary art, Anita Zabludowicz, is to open a public gallery in London next June. The space, in a former Methodist chapel, will present a changing selection from her 1,200 works.
The gallery, to be known as Project Space 176, is being converted by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris. “The 1867 chapel will be a ‘raw’ building, not a white cube,” according to curator Elizabeth Neilson. Located at 176 Prince of Wales Rd, NW5, in Chalk Farm, it will show changing selections from the Zabludowicz collection, as well as commissions by resident artists, who will be given studio space. It is to open three days a week, Friday to Sunday.
“Project Space 176 will be a platform for more experimental shows. We want to present emerging artists and allow the collection to be used as raw material for exhibitions,” says Mrs Zabludowicz. She is the driving force behind the Zabludowicz Art Trust, which she runs with her Finnish-born husband Poju.
Two weeks ago the Zabludowiczs invited a small group of guests to their home, through the Contemporary Art Society. The residence, also in north London, is in a magnificent contemporary building designed by architects Munkenbeck & Marshall. Every room is packed with art, but even so there are still over 1,000 works in store. The pieces on display in this year’s “hang” include a sculpture by Antony Gormley in the garden, an Auerbach above the living room fireplace, a Doig just outside the master bedroom and an Emin in the downstairs lavatory.
Mrs Zabludowicz began collecting in 1994, but since then it has become what she describes as “an addiction”, and she says she now buys an average of at least two works of art a week. The 1,200 pieces in her collection are by 350 artists from 33 countries, although the majority are from Britain, Germany and the US.
The Zabludowiczs are generous gallery patrons, supporting the Tate, Serpentine, Whitechapel and Hayward. They also back the Zoo Art Fair (13-15 October), which runs alongside Frieze.
Poju Zabludowicz’s wealth comes from his Liechtenstein-registered company Tamares Group, which has investments in property and hotels, with major holdings in Las Vegas. Their properties include 1500 Broadway, in New York’s Times Square, and until recently they owned Princes House (home of Tramp nightclub), in London’s Piccadilly, which was sold for £64m. The Sunday Times rich list values Mr Zabludowicz’s assets at £2,000m.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Major collector to put art on show in London'