Harry David Art Collection

The Harry David Art Collection is a private collection of contemporary art,[1] focusing on the art of Africa and its diaspora.[2]

The Collection edit

The Harry David Art Collection focuses on artists engaging with cultural, political and historical voices that reflect the continent of Africa, exploring themes including immigration and economics.[2] The collection includes works by Beninese artist Meschac Gaba, Kenya-born artist Wangechi Mutu, South African/Malawian artist Billie Zangewa, the Nigerian Taiye Idahor, the African-Americans Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas and Rashid Johnson, as well as the British artists Chris Ofili and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.[3][4]

Taking the form of both short and long-term loans the Harry David Art Collection is dedicated to making the collection openly accessible to a global audience through museums and public institutions.[5][6][7]

Exhibitions edit

The inaugural exhibition for The Harry David Collection, entitled ‘Ubuntu’, opened in September 2020, having been rescheduled due to coronavirus.[2] The South African term ubuntu can be translated as “humanness” or “a sense of common humanity”. The exhibition includes 66 works by 34 artists from the Harry David Art Collection, presented in five rooms within the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens.[8] The rooms were designed by RIBA award-winning Kallos Turin architects (London and San Francisco).[9][10]

The works on display were chosen by five different artists and curators including: Rashid Johnson, a visual artist;[11] Osei Bonsu, curator of international art at Tate Modern;[12] Elvira Dyangani Ose, art writer and gallerist;[13] Burkard Vannholt, collector; and Emily Tsingou, art advisor.[14][15][16]

Personal edit

Harry David spent his early years growing up in Nigeria, and is now based between Nicosia (Cyprus), Athens (Greece) and Lagos (Nigeria) with his wife Lana de Beer, who was born and raised in South Africa.[2] De Beer and David are active patrons of Tate, through its African Acquisitions Committee.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ "About". Harry David Art Collection.
  2. ^ a b c d Ruiz, Cristina (September 16, 2020). "Collector Harry David — dreaming of Africa". www.ft.com.
  3. ^ "The elephant in the room". The Economist.
  4. ^ "EMST: New periodic exhibitions in September ATHENS 9,84". September 15, 2020.
  5. ^ 30th Bienal de São Paulo (2012) - Book/Catalogue
  6. ^ "Yinka Shonibare CBE". Stephen Friedman Gallery.
  7. ^ https://museumulm.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pressetext_-OBUMBRO-SchattenKunst-ComputerSpiel.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  8. ^ DESIGN, i (September 10, 2020). "UBUNTU - THE HARRY DAVID ART COLLECTION".
  9. ^ designed by RIBA award-winning Kallos Turin architects (based in London and San Francisco).
  10. ^ "UBUNTU - Πέντε δωμάτια από τη Συλλογή Χάρη Δαυίδ: Έκθεση στο ΕΜΣΤ". monopoli.gr. September 10, 2020.
  11. ^ a visual artist
  12. ^ "Osei Bonsu Named Curator of International Art at Tate Modern in London". 11 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Elvira Dyangani Ose | Apollo 40 Under 40 Europe | The Judges". Apollo Magazine. September 3, 2018.
  14. ^ Emily Tsingou, art advisor
  15. ^ Team, ΤοΒΗΜΑ (September 12, 2020). "ΕΜΣΤ : Με δύο εκθέσεις ανοίγει η νέα σεζόν". Ειδήσεις - νέα - Το Βήμα Online.
  16. ^ "ΕΜΣΤ: 66 έργα με αέρα Αφρικής από τη Συλλογή Χάρη Δαυίδ". Philenews.
  17. ^ https://www.tate.org.uk/file/tate-patrons-2018-2019-report [dead link]