About

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 2008 by Dasha Zhukova and Roman Abramovich and was originally located in the building of the former Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage in Obraztsova Street, Moscow, which gave the museum its name.

Garage has amassed an extensive archive on the history of Russian contemporary art, publishes books on a wide range of themes connected to contemporary culture, organizes film screenings and talks, and offers long-term programs of support for artists and regional art institutions. In 2024, Garage began forming a collection of contemporary art.

Currently located in the building of the former restaurant Vremena Goda, which was reconstructed by Rem Koolhaas and OMA (The Netherlands).

To find out more about the history of the museum, visit сhronicle.garagemca.org.

Architecture

From 2008 to 2011 Garage occupied the building of the former Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage in Obraztsova Street, Moscow (which gave the museum its name), designed by the constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov. From 2012 to 2015, the Museum was based in a temporary pavilion in Gorky Park designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Since 2015, Garage has been located in the building of the former restaurant Vremena Goda (1968), reconstructed by Rem Koolhaas and OMA (the Netherlands).

Other Garage Buildings

  • Education Center (Gorky Park, opened 2013)
  • Garage Studios and Artist Residencies (VDNKh, opened 2019)

GOVERNANCE

  • Dasha Zhukova

    Dasha Zhukova is co-founder of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, and founder of the IRIS Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the understanding and development of contemporary culture throughout the world. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Shed, where she is a founding member. Additionally, she is a co-founder of Artsy. Zhukova has been involved in a number of ventures in the fields of fashion and design, including GARAGE Magazine, which she established in 2011. Born in Moscow, she was educated in Los Angeles, graduating from UCSB.
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  • Roman Abramovich

    Roman Abramovich is co-founder of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. A prominent Russian businessman and philanthropist, he is a former member of parliament (State Duma, 1999-2001) and former governor of the Chukotka Autonomous District (2001-2008). Mr Abramovich is involved in a broad range of philanthropic projects in the Russia Federation and abroad, supporting charitable foundations focused on making a difference in the areas of arts and culture, sports, healthcare, children’s issues, education, veterans’ affairs, and other important social issues. He is a trustee of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre and the main investor in the development of the New Holland cultural center in St Petersburg. He also provides sponsorship to a number of cultural establishments and programmes in Moscow and St. Petersburg, supporting Russian and international artists, performers, and musicians at exhibitions and events, and contributing to educational projects on contemporary culture. The Roman Abramovich Jewish Foundation helps numerous Jewish causes and also offers assistance to underprivileged members of society throughout the country.Past projects include the Pole of Hope and Territoria foundations, which made substantial contributions to the improvement of living conditions in the Russian region of Chukotka, and the National Academy of Football, which over a 10-year period built more than 100 sports facilities and sponsored training and coaching for young athletes across the country. Mr Abramovich was born in the city of Saratov and holds a diploma from the Moscow State Legal Academy.

  • Anton Belov

    Anton Belov has been Director of Garage Museum of Contemporary Art since 2010. He is a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, with a degree in the physics and chemistry of processes and materials. Prior to his appointment at Garage, Anton ran the non-profit project Gallery White in Moscow, which he founded, working with young artists to develop new works. In 2009, Anton launched the bilingual magazine and online resource Artguide, which covers events in the field of contemporary art. It is now the leading magazine of its kind. Since 2018, he has been Head of the Department for Garage Museum of Contemporary Art at the Higher School of Economics.

Garage is a non-profit project of The IRIS Foundation.