Dasha Zhukova founded Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in 2008. As an entrepreneur and investor at the intersection of art, architecture, and culture, Dasha’s vision was to create a museum devoted to discovery and exploration of global art and culture. Today, the museum draws nearly one million visitors annually.
Over the course of almost two decades, Garage has grown in expertise and size, reflecting on current developments in Russian and international culture through an extensive program of exhibitions, events, education, research, and publishing.
Inspired by the success of Garage, in 2011, Dasha created and launched Garage Magazine. Bringing the museum’s spirit to life on the printed page, the magazine showcases creative collaboration among established and emerging artists and thought leaders. Acquired by Vice Media in 2016, Garage Magazine expanded from a biannual print publication to a digital platform where the worlds of art, fashion, and culture converge.
Dasha is a co-founder of New Holland Island, St. Petersburg’s preeminent public arts and recreation space. In addition to spearheading the ongoing redevelopment and restoration of the island, which was created by Peter the Great in the early 18th century, Dasha serves as the institution’s Chief Ideas Officer, overseeing programming and the expansion of its offerings. Under her leadership, the island reopened to visitors in 2011. Today, New Holland Island is the center of social and cultural life in St. Petersburg. It is home to a lively park, historic performance venues and exhibition spaces, the School for Creative Industries, and The Bottle, a unique building and innovative retail, dining, and entertainment space. Restoration of the remaining spaces and structures on the island is expected to be complete by 2025.
Dasha is a founder of Artsy, a digital platform for collecting and discovering art. She also founded IRIS Foundation, a globally-focused non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and providing access to contemporary art and culture worldwide.
Dasha serves on the Boards of Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum in Moscow, and the Shed, where she is a founding member. Born in Moscow and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and currently resides in New York City.