On March, 27th 2013 Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk has received from Aurélie Filippetti, French Minister of Culture and Communication, the insignia of Knight in the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”.
Victor Pinchuk had been distinguished for his permanent commitment to support the contemporary artists in Ukraine and internationally. He notably founded most dynamic private contemporary art centre in Eastern Europe, the Kiev based PinchukArtCentre which by now attracted more than 1,7 million visitors.
The PinchukArtCentre both aims at allowing Ukrainians to discover contemporary art fostering artistic education, creation and appreciation in Ukraine, and supporting young Ukrainians and international young talents. It also gives a significant contribution to the cultural dialogue between East and West, and between national identity and international challenge. In this respect, the PinchukArtCentre Prize was created in 2009. It was the first private nationwide art prize in Ukraine, which supports a new generation of young Ukrainian artists working in contemporary art.
The Aurélie Filippetti, French Minister of Culture and Communication praised Victor Pinchuk for his key role in allowing Ukrainians citizens to discover and understand contemporary art as well as for his contribution in global support of young artists: "You are the face of the European and international art patronage, a lover of arts, who dared to place his success at the service of the contemporary art. Your philanthropist values placed your commitment for the arts and young artist generations at the core of your life. We also appreciate your deep involvement in renewing the dialogue between cultures, between France and Ukraine, the West and the East".
She also underlined Victor Pinchuk’s decision to give half or more of his fortune during his lifetime and beyond to philanthropic causes, joining the Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative founded in 2010 by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Victor Pinchuk declared: “I am especially honored to receive this award in France, the country which brought so much to the world in terms of culture. I see as crucial today equal access to culture, education, the benefits of civilization. This is what I want to contribute to”.
The PinchukArtCentre has notably represented Ukraine at two International Arts Exhibition held in Venice (La Biennale di Venezia), in 2007 and 2009.
So as to promote contemporary art on a global scale, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation announced the establishment in 2009 of the Future Generation Art Prize, the first global art prize for artists up to 35 years old, with the PinchukArtCentre acting as the organizer. Established to discover and provide long-term support for a generation of emerging artists, wherever they may live and work, this unique artist-focused prize aims to make a major contribution toward the production of new work by young artists. To encourage the assistance of one generation of artists to the next, a group of renowned Mentor Artists including Andreas Gursky, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami has committed its long-term participation in the Prize providing in-person counsel and support to the Prize winners.
In 2011, the PinchukArtCentre also opened an application call for the new Curatorial Platform – a two-years full time program combining a theoretical and practical training. The program is open for all Ukrainians up to 30 and gives them access to develop their competence on a high international professional level to become an expert in contemporary art curation.
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture André Malraux, and confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields. Victor Pinchuk had been distinguished for his permanent commitment to support the contemporary artists in Ukraine and internationally in 2010. Among other international artists and patron of arts who received insignia of Knight in the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” were Nikolay Tsiskaridze, George Clooney, Jude Law, Vanessa Paradis, Tim Burton and others.
