Dasha Zhukova Awarded Prestigious Leo Award

Dasha Zhukova

The ICI have named Dasha Zhukova as the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Leo Award for her contribution to the promotion of international Contemporary art. Named after the highly respected New York art dealer Leo Castelli who died in 1999, the honour awards groundbreaking achievements in contemporary art and curatorship.  Zhukova is recognised for her vision in conceiving and building new institutions in Russia. Her projects include the Garage: Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow, Garage magazine and her larger than life plans to turn Moscow into an epicenter of contemporary art activity. Zhukova recently announced that the Garage will be redesigned by world renowned architect Rem Koolhaas.

Leo Castelli was one of the most influential art dealers of the twentieth century. He launched the careers of such Pop greats as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Stella—convincing the world that American art of the 1960s was worthy of international recognition. Fleeing the war in Europe, Castelli and his wife, Ileana Sonnabend, came to New York from Paris in 1941. In 1943 he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to military intelligence in Europe. For his military service he was granted American citizenship. Castelli introduced an innovative stipend system into the New York gallery world, putting the artists he represented on an international stage.

Independent Curators International (ICI) produces exhibitions, events, publications, and training opportunities for diverse audiences around the world. A catalyst for independent thinking, ICI connects emerging and established curators, artists, and institutions, to forge international networks and generate new forms of collaboration. Working across disciplines and historical precedents, the organization is a hub that provides access to the people, ideas, and practices that are key to current developments in the field, inspiring fresh ways of seeing and contextualizing contemporary art.

Photo: © ArtLyst 2012

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