Saatchi gallery donation plan hits snag

Charles Saatchi has run into a snag in his plans to donate his London gallery and art collection to the British public, according to an associate director at the Saatchi Gallery.

Rebecca Wilson said talks with Arts Council England have ended without an agreement.

Saatchi is now entering conversations with other potential recipients of his 200-piece art collection, valued at more than $37 million US, she said.

Saatchi's collection, which includes works such as My Bed by Tracey Emin and Emily Prince's drawings of U.S. military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, was to be a gift for the British people, held in trust by the government.

The 70,000-square-foot Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, owned by Saatchi's Cadogan Estate, would become the Museum of Contemporary Art for London under the proposal.

In an announcement in July about his plans, Saatchi said a foundation would be set up to run the gallery and the public would have free access to see the art.

British press are reporting his talks with Art Council England, which manages cultural funding for the government, broke down over the terms of the gift. At issue is Saatchi's plan to buy and sell works through the gallery in order to help fund its operations.

Wilson said he has now approached other art organizations with his plans. 

Saatchi, who helped launch British artists such as Damien Hirst and Emin, also owns works by Indian artist Jitish Kallat and French-Algerian artist Kader Attia. He is retaining some of his collection to pass on to his family.