Roman Abramovich Buys An Island For His Art [UPDATED]

Let's go over some quick facts about Roman Abramovich -- he's Russian, he's a self-made steel and investments entrepreneur, he owns England's Chelsea Football Club, he was #50 on Forbes' 2010 list of the World's Billionaires (cashing in at $11.2 billion), he is dating art-world-darling Dasha Zhukova, and today it was announced that he's pouring $400 million into a new museum on New Holland Island (outside of St. Petersburg in his native Russia) to house his private collection. This museum won't just be for him to admire his own stellar taste. According to the Telegraph, Abramovich's investment plans include the building of offices, retail spaces, hotels, restaurants, and galleries. Zhukova is said to be Abramovich's main inspiration for acquiring such a prized collection of contemporary art - she is the force behind Moscow's Garage Center for Contemporary Culture and will be instrumental in the development of this island/museum. ARTINFO reports that in 2008, Abramovich snapped up Lucian Freud's "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" at a Christie's auction and Francis Bacon's "Triptych" at Sotheby's - giving us a glimpse into what this island/museum might hold.

So what do you think - booking your flights?

Comments

[Eric Sarnoski]

03:39 AM on 12/10/2010

Thats definately a piece of art standing next to him . A great way to start your collection.

[MichaelVCaldwell]

09:54 PM on 12/08/2010

THINKING OUT OF THE BOX FOR AMERICAN INVESTORS

In past history when the USA needed a Moral Boost to our Country we built
such things as;

The Largest Bridges, Dams, Statue Of Liberty, Worlds Largest Futuristic
Fair, Landed on the Moon etc. It is overdue for us and time for us to build the
Largest & Best Futuristic CITY IN THE WORLD, using ALL OF OUR CUTTING EDGE
TECHNOLOGY AND ALL OF CHINA'S, GERMANY, RUSSIA and all other Countries CUTTING
EDGE TECHNOLOGY and BEYOND ALL OTHERS ! !

We need to find a location in the USA somewhere that has the space for our
"FUTURE WORLD PROJECT" where this ENTIRE CITY will Utilize all of the Newest
and Cutting edge combined technology in the world to build our City using
entirely GREEN energy with 0 pollution ! ! !

(This City Would Also Have A NEW VERSION OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, Holding the
torch in one hand and OUR SPACE SHUTTLE or GREEN PLANET EARTH in her other hand
raised high and

looking into the sky ! ! to our City..Too Cool Or What..) I would love to be part of this project and so would America ! !

Use your Imagination and think how GREAT THIS WOULD BE FOR AMERICA & OUR
ECONOMY ! !

" COULD BE AN HISTORICAL EVENT IN OUR HISTORY BOOKS FOR OUR NEXT
GENERATION TO FOLLOW"

Thank You, Respectfully, Michael V. Caldwell, Proud American Inventor/Dreamer..Dream Big..Do Big ! ! !

[WorriedParent]

10:05 PM on 12/27/2010

I couldn't make it past the Statue of Liberty, considering that it was built by the French and given to us as a gift.

[noob1]

08:16 AM on 12/08/2010

He may new a few more art works for that gallery:
http://surfpoet.com/original-art/

[13champlain]

08:08 AM on 12/08/2010

I bet he has another island for his minature giraffes

[dentonbeard]

09:47 AM on 12/08/2010

"Opulence, I Has It"

[nomoredead]

08:03 AM on 12/08/2010

As they say in the south of France ' There goes the neighborhood. '

[edacelis]

07:46 AM on 12/08/2010

Jail the rich!

[13champlain]

08:15 AM on 12/08/2010

Jail the lazy whiners

[edacelis]

08:32 AM on 12/08/2010

Isn't that what I just said?

[Faxus]

07:45 AM on 12/08/2010

His private collection where no one can see it but him, typically Russian.

[Ohene]

06:06 AM on 12/08/2010

There are no “self-made” entrepreneurs or whatever. This myth has been nourished in American mythologies with the rise of the “robber barons”. All so-called “self-made” men or women had some break along the way. They had some door opened to them in which they quickly stepped in. The illusion or ideology of “self-made” successful people has also produced the myth that “What I owe belongs only to me and me along. Goddamn all taxes and government’s interference!” Even many of the “robber barons” did not go along with that shallow myth. That is why they created universities, libraries, hospitals etc for all. Notwithstanding our own diligence, industry and perseverance, we always owe our successes to some unnamed and hidden angel or some muses. That is my advent-thought.

[kevinbr38]

09:05 AM on 12/08/2010

Excellent post. F&F.

[Philosopher-king]

05:57 AM on 12/08/2010

No one should have this much money and wasting resources like that.

[sdgrrl]

01:13 PM on 12/08/2010

I don't know. I don't know him personally. At least he supports the arts and new artist. We don't know his philanthropic pursuits and maybe he doesn't make it known; I don't know. Not too sure if he lights his cigars with $100 bills and laughs at beggars on the streets.

I find it as scary when people tell me I need to believe in their God their way- I think the same but opposite is telling someone how much money they can acquire in their lifetime...eerily rings of the Chinese People's Revolution.

[GraphicMatt]

11:24 AM on 12/09/2010

Should there be an international cap on the amount of money someone should be able to make? Should there be a list of acceptable ways people must spend their money. Sorry, just a silly thing for anyone to say.

[Ohene]

05:38 AM on 12/08/2010

"Life is unfair", said JFK. And it is true. I am not judging this Abram. I am not a judge or jury. However, it is fair to say that Russian streets today, even streets in St. Petersburg, are filled with CHILDREN -- that is innocent human beings -- living in cellars surrounded by rats and roaches. It is a life without a tomorrow -- an abyss of despair. This situation is converting many Russian youths into hardened Neo-Nazis, as if their salvation lies with Hitler’s resurrection. We read last year of the biggest and most luxurious yacht in the world, before that of Chelsea, the women, etc. And now this island. Yes, I do not want to be poor; I do not want my children to grow up poor. Poverty is cruel and heartless. But my soul is often reminding me that wealth can corrupt, and inordinate wealth can corrupt the soul inordinately.

[WhyBecause]

02:31 AM on 12/08/2010

Hey, if you're not using that island, you mind if I store some of my stuff there?

[MarcoEsquandolas]

02:24 AM on 12/08/2010

Krusty: Fifteen thousand mazoolians? Holy shlamola! Whaddya gonna do with all that kablingy?

[anticrusader]

02:14 AM on 12/08/2010

Sick! And how many ex Soviets are starving?

[WhyBecause]

02:27 AM on 12/08/2010

Let them eat art?

[Sunflo]

06:38 AM on 12/08/2010

That was too easy :)

[rigmoten]

02:08 AM on 12/08/2010

Glad he's using his tax cut to create wealth.

[edacelis]

07:47 AM on 12/08/2010

He's creating JOBS with that wealth.

[cornflower]

08:13 AM on 12/08/2010

At least for his lucious girlfriend!

[GlobalCtzn]

02:03 AM on 12/08/2010

Thinking with the little head for sure.................