Site of Former Mikhailov Hospital Becomes Modern Art Museum
A modern art museum will be built in the historical district of Tbilisi, on the territory of the former "Mikhailov" hospital.
It is not only a museum in the classical sense but a new, modern center of culture, which will be equipped with educational, scientific, library, publishing, exhibition, and recreational functions.
Shalva Breus, a businessman from Georgia based in Russia and the creator of the idea for the modern art museum project, is well-known among of modern art lovers around the world for his expertise in the genre, his role as a judge for numerous international competitions, including the Marcel Dushan Prize and the Guerlain Prizes for painting and graphics, as well as his work as a publisher, collector, and philanthropist.
His collection of modern paintings, the core of which is the works of German expressionists, is also recognized worldwide. The collection is rich with samples of modern Georgian paintings. Shalva Breus founded an international fund named after himself, and the Kandinsky Prize together with the British Turner Prize and the French Marcel Duchamps Prize, are the 3 leading prizes of contemporary art in the world.
Shalva Breus's firm "Hansa" LLC purchased the building of the former "Mikhailov" hospital for 16 million GEL at the fourth auction. Bidders didn't attend the auction, because the project considered the cultural purpose of the same object and was not commercially interesting for businessmen. According to the privatization conditions, a multi-functional complex, including museums, libraries, cafes and other public infrastructure should be organized in the territory, for which no less than 30 million GEL will be invested in 5 years.
As the representatives explain, no art museum is profitable, this is a purely social and cultural project, in which 30 million GEL will be invested over 5 years. Also, the appearance of the historical monument of the "Mikhailov" hospital and the green cover of the historical park will be preserved.