Glasgow spends art fund grant on 12 'trailblazing' works

Published on Saturday 29 November 2008 18:51

THE first major works of art purchased through a new £5m collecting scheme have been bought by Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).

GOMA has spent 200,000 of its 1m grant from the scheme run by Art Fund International on 12 works by four cutting-edge artists from across the globe.

The works by Matthew Buckingham, Emily Jacir and Peter Hujar will be the first by those artists to enter a public collection in the UK. GOMA was one of five UK museums to win 1m each to develop an outstanding collection of international contemporary art.

One of the gallery's key collecting aims is to buy works using documentary media such as photography and film. A special exhibition, Collected, will showcase eight of the new purchases by two of the artists at the gallery from December 11.

Seven of the works are by Hujar, best known for his striking images of New York residents and locations. American artist Buckingham explores human rights and social justice issues.

Jacir is a Saudi Arabian who lives and works in Ramallah and New York, and her critically acclaimed work – for which she was awarded a Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale last year – highlights the incredibly restricted day-to-day lives of the Palestinian people.

In addition to these, the Art Fund has bought for the gallery a much sought-after installation piece by German artist Lothar Baumgarten.

David Barrie, director of fund, said: "Thanks to Art Fund International, Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art can for the first time start building a collection of international contemporary art that can bear comparison with those on show in other parts of Europe.

"These acquisitions are truly trailblazing, and we eagerly look forward to helping the other partners in the scheme make equally exciting purchases."

Councillor Archie Graham, the executive member for culture and sport at Glasgow City Council, said: "These are outstanding acquisitions, which reflect our ambition to build on the city's reputation as the home of the very best in modern art outside London. We are extremely grateful to the Art Fund for their significant contribution."

Katrina Brown, director of The Common Guild, said: "The first few acquisitions in this amazing scheme were always going to be of particular excitement to us and we are truly delighted to be bringing the work of such important, respected and influential artists to Glasgow on a permanent basis."