Bankside Gallery London

Advertising mogul Saatchi, the titan of contemporary art patronage who has invested extensively in Young British Artists such as Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, conceived the idea for a free gallery to show rotating exhibits drawn from his massive personal collection.

An earlier incarnation of the gallery, on London’s South Bank near the Tate Modern, charged admission, and was closed down in 2005 due to a property dispute.

Champion of contemporary art

The new Saatchi Gallery, complete with educational facilities and a space dedicated to the work of emerging artists who are invited to sell their work commission-free on the Saatchi Online site, represents the most monumental effort to date in Saatchi’s ongoing crusade to gain wider public exposure for contemporary art. The Saatchi is particularly dedicated to students, offering education packs and guided tours to school groups of all ages.

"We hope that free admission will enable many more state schools to organise school visits and bring in more students who can't always afford normal gallery charges. Free entry can only help spread the interest in contemporary art," Saatchi is quoted as saying in Maev Kennedy’s July 16, 2007 Guardian article “Saatchi’s pledge for new art gallery”.