Garage Museum ofContemporary Art was founded in2008 byDasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich and was originally located inthe building ofthe former Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage inObraztsova Street, Moscow, which gave the museum its name.
Garage has amassed anextensive archive onthe history ofRussian contemporary art, publishes books onawide range ofthemes connected tocontemporary culture, organizes film screenings and talks, and offers long-term programs ofsupport for artists and regional art institutions.
Currently located inthe building ofthe former restaurant Vremena Goda, which was reconstructed byRem Koolhaas and OMA (The Netherlands), Garage isnow adapting the Hexagon pavilion asanew building for the Museum, toadesign developed bythe architecture firm SANAA (Japan).
Tofind out more about the history ofthe museum, visit сhronicle.garagemca.org.
Architecture
From 2008 to2011 Garage occupied the building ofthe former Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage inObraztsova Street, Moscow (which gave the museum its name), designed bythe constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov. From 2012 to2015, the Museum was based inatemporary pavilion inGorky Park designed byJapanese architect Shigeru Ban. Since 2015, Garage has been located inthe building ofthe former restaurant Vremena Goda (1968), reconstructed byRem Koolhaas and OMA (the Netherlands).
Since 2017, Garage has worked with architects from various countries toconstruct temporary pavilions onGarage Square, which operate asthe Garage Screen summer cinema.
InNovember 2021, the Museum presented the design project for its new building, the Hexagon pavilion (1923), which isbeing reconstructed bythe Japanese architecture firm SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates).
After reconstruction, the Hexagon and Vremena Goda will form ajoint space for avariety ofart practices, including performative and multidisciplinary projects.
Other Garage Buildings
- Education Center (Gorky Park, opened 2013)
- Garage Studios and Artist Residencies (VDNKh, opened 2019)
GOVERNANCE
Dasha Zhukova
Dasha Zhukova isco-founder ofGarage Museum ofContemporary Art, and founder ofthe IRIS Foundation, anon-profit organization dedicated topromoting the understanding and development ofcontemporary culture throughout the world. She serves onthe Board ofTrustees ofthe Metropolitan Museum ofArt, the Los Angeles County Museum ofArt, and the Shed, where she isafounding member. Additionally, she isaco-founder ofArtsy. Zhukova has been involved inanumber ofventures inthe fields offashion and design, including GARAGE Magazine, which she established in2011. Born inMoscow, she was educated inLos Angeles, graduating from UCSB.
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Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich is co-founder of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. A prominent Russian businessman and philanthropist, he is a former member of parliament (State Duma, 1999-2001) and former governor of the Chukotka Autonomous District (2001-2008). Mr Abramovich is involved in a broad range of philanthropic projects in the Russia Federation and abroad, supporting charitable foundations focused on making a difference in the areas of arts and culture, sports, healthcare, children’s issues, education, veterans’ affairs, and other important social issues. He is a trustee of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre and the main investor in the development of the New Holland cultural center in St Petersburg. He also provides sponsorship to a number of cultural establishments and programmes in Moscow and St. Petersburg, supporting Russian and international artists, performers, and musicians at exhibitions and events, and contributing to educational projects on contemporary culture. The Roman Abramovich Jewish Foundation helps numerous Jewish causes and also offers assistance to underprivileged members of society throughout the country.Past projects include the Pole of Hope and Territoria foundations, which made substantial contributions to the improvement of living conditions in the Russian region of Chukotka, and the National Academy of Football, which over a 10-year period built more than 100 sports facilities and sponsored training and coaching for young athletes across the country. Mr Abramovich was born in the city of Saratov and holds a diploma from the Moscow State Legal Academy.
Anton Belov
Anton Belov has been Director of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art since 2010. He is a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, with a degree in the physics and chemistry of processes and materials. Prior to his appointment at Garage, Anton ran the non-profit project Gallery White in Moscow, which he founded, working with young artists to develop new works. In 2009, Anton launched the bilingual magazine and online resource Artguide, which covers events in the field of contemporary art. It is now the leading magazine of its kind. Since 2018, he has been Head of the Department for Garage Museum of Contemporary Art at the Higher School of Economics.
Garage isanon-profit project ofThe IRIS Foundation.
