At the end of 2018, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre signed a contract with Mr Basil Alkazzi, artist and patron of the arts from Monaco, regarding the establishment of The Basil Alkazzi Acquisition Fund at the Rothko Centre.

Nearly six years into existence, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre continues to work responsibly towards inclusion of local cultural processes into European and global trends and providing access to prime examples of professional art to inhabitants of Daugavpils and Latvia as well as to tourists from all over the world.

These activities of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre have been noticed by Basil Alkazzi, artist and patron of the arts and cultural institutions worldwide. By mutual agreement between the parties, a contract was signed regarding the establishment of The Basil Alkazzi Acquisition Fund at the Mark Rothko Art Centre with a view to enriching the centre’s painting collection.

The purpose of The Basil Alkazzi Acquisition Fund is to provide financial support to emerging and established Latvian and international artists through the acquisition of their artwork for the Rothko Centre’s painting collection. The artwork will be purchased in accordance with the Rothko Centre’s strategy, which will include abstract, modern and contemporary art. Acquisitions will be selected at the discretion of the Rothko Centre’s curators and artistic board with the advice of the centre’s collection committee and decisions ratified by the director. Options will be considered to purchase additional artwork from artists already featured in the centre’s collection, thereby giving a broader view of their creative style and enabling future loans of comprehensive assortments of artwork for major exhibitions in Latvia and abroad, which will boost the image of the Rothko Centre and Basil Alkazzi Acquisition Fund as major brands on the global art scene.

Apart from financial means, the British artist Basil Alkazzi has donated to Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre some of his original artwork and a number of Limited Edition photographs by photographer Myoung-Cheul Chung (South Korea), which will add to the Rothko Centre’s photography collection. Since 2016, Mr Alkazzi has also repeatedly donated valuable art-themed books to the Rothko Centre’s library.

The recognition and support of Basil Alkazzi will help the Rothko Centre in pursuing its goals regarding the purchase of artwork, making it more competitive with contemporary art museums and galleries worldwide.

The acquisition fund will operate throughout 2019 and will constitute a major contribution to replenishing the Rothko Centre’s painting collection. It will boost the centre’s overall value with major works of art and perform an important social function by providing much needed financial support to artists, which is especially significant in Eastern Europe.