Following a string of controversial thefts, the British Museum has announced ambitious plans to digitize its collection. “Following the discovery that objects have been stolen from the collection, we have taken steps to improve security and are now confident that a theft of this kind can never happen again,” says interim director Mark Jones. “It is my belief that the single most important response to the thefts is to increase access, because the better a collection is known – and the more it is used – the sooner any absences are noticed.”
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Francois-Henri Pinault
Collector’s Birthdate: b. 1936Pinault is the owner of Christie’s auction house, as well as department store chain Printemps, the Chateau-Latour vineyard and the luxury goods firm PPR, which owns Gucci and Yves Saint Lauren.
His father, Francois, is also an avid art collector and owns upwards of 2,000 invaluable works by the likes of Picasso and Miro. The family fortune is estimated to be worth an excess of 7 billion dollars.
The younger Pinault has been pinned as one of the most aggressive collectors in Europe. He lavishly displayed the “hottest” artists of his collection at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Italy in time for the Bienalle. The grand entryway featured a two-story tall Urs Fischer’s sculpture entitled “Jet Set Lady” as well as works by Rudolph Stingel, Anselm Reyle, Richard Prince, David Hammonds, Kristen Baker, Mike Kelley, Laura Owens, and many more.
He has experienced a recent rash of tabloid articles for impregnating and then successfully proposing to movie star actress, Selma Hayek. He was previously married and has two children.
On basic relationship with art and artists:
“I want the artists to be recognized, the works of art to be appreciated, and for the public to further develop a passion for the art of today.”
Lindemann, Adam. Collecting Contemporary: Los Angeles, Taschen GmbH 2006. *( See “Stingel Comes to Whitney” ) *
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