Moscow Power Plant Transforms Into Contemporary Art Gallery
Funded by the CEO of Novatek, a Moscow power plant was turned into a museum for contemporary art.
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A Moscow power plant was turned into a cutting-edge museum for contemporary art.
An electricity plant, which is a century years old, used to supply electricity to the Kremlin back in the day. But, now, a billionaire gas tycoon has transformed it into a temple of contemporary art which is set to open on Saturday.
GES-2 venue, which sits on the banks of the Moskva River in Moscow, was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and it vows to include the most prominent international names and Russian stars. The reopening of the place was funded by Leonid Mikhelson, who is the founder and CEO of Novatek, Russia's largest gas company.
The art gallery enjoys electric blue chimneys, solar panels on its roof, and a beautiful birch grove; it will house galleries, cafes, and art residencies.
"Everything was done fantastically," said Marat Gelman, a Russian gallerist and critic.
Although the cost of the project has not been revealed, it is estimated that it cost hundreds of millions of dollars, given that Mikhelson's net worth is valued at billions.
"I told Leonid (Mikhelson) to buy the nearby buildings to demolish them -- and he did. To make a good building you need a good client," Piano told reporters.
GES-2, with its innovative art, will be available to the public, especially families, as the gallery vows.
Putin, this week, came to visit in an expression of support for the project one week before the official opening.
