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NEW YORK—When the New Museum announced that it was presenting an exhibition, curated by Jeff Koons, of the collection of Greek Cypriot Dakis Joannou — which includes works by Maurizio Cattelan, Cady Noland, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, and Kiki Smith, to name just a few — it triggered a tidal wave of controversy. Bloggers, art critics, and reporters pointed to several perceived improprieties in the museum’s showing the pieces, the principal ones being that Joannou is a private collector as well as a trustee of the institution and that among his holdings are 40 works by Koons, the curator. Somewhat overlooked in the ethical debate are the scope and importance of the assemblage. Despite the grumblings and even calls to scrap the show entirely, many look forward to seeing the works in the U.S. for the first time. Chris Bors spoke with Joannou about the forthcoming exhibition, the history of his collection, and the mission of the Deste Foundation, which he founded in 1983.

How did you start collecting?

I was walking in the East Village [in New York] and passed the gallery International with Monument and saw Jeff Koons’s One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank [1985] and purchased it. It started kind of slowly, but then I met other artists, like Ashley Bickerton and Meyer Vaisman. That is one misconception about my collection, because I started collecting these artists when they were not big names. 

Can you talk about your foundation?

The goal of the Deste Foundation is to be involved in a dialogue about contemporary art. I started the foundation three or four years before [I started] the collection. What is important for me is the context of Deste and not just the collection: It is about relationships, working with people, working with friends, and coming up with interesting ideas. It sets what I am doing apart from other collectors. One aspect is showing the collection from various points of view, as in the exhibition "Fractured Figure" [2007-08]. The other activity is to support and promote contemporary art in Greece, creating a platform for younger Greek artists with the Deste Prize, which is awarded every two years. Since the foundation began, it has presented 40 shows, half based on the collection and half not. Ever since the foundation started, it has had a very open approach with engaging others. 

Did the appearance of your collection at the Palais de Tokyo, in Paris, in 2005 and in joint shows at the Kunsthalle and the MUMOK, in Vienna, in 2007 cause controversy?

This is a very important question, because it shows how the collection has a history of collaboration and the breadth of the venues. It was very positively received in both Paris and Vienna. In France the minister of culture gave a big speech and thanked me for making it available there. The Palais de Tokyo originally wanted to have the exhibition "Monument to Now" [2004-05], which was shown at the Deste Foundation in Greece during the Olympics, and I told them, "No, why don’t you do your own show?" So the curators Nicolas Bourriaud, Jérôme Sans, and Marc Sanchez came up with "Translation." With "Traum & Trauma," in Vienna, I made my collection available, but they chose the pieces. Both at the Palais de Tokyo and in Vienna, it was their show.

How did the exhibition at the New Museum come about?

I have known [New Museum director] Lisa Phillips since the mid-1980s, and [museum curator] Massimiliano Gioni was one of five curators of the Deste Foundation exhibition "Monument to Now." I have also known [chief curator] Richard Flood since he was working at Barbara Gladstone. They asked me to do an exhibition based on the collection. It’s as simple as that. It’s not really about showing the collection, though. You would need 10 times more space.

Can you discuss Jeff Koons’s role?

The New Museum asked Jeff to be the curator. I didn’t even expect he would accept the proposition. What is shown is not up to me; it depends on what Jeff chooses. If the New Museum had said it wanted to curate the show itself, I would have also agreed. The very first show Deste presented, in 1988, "Cultural Geometry," was curated by the artist Haim Steinbach. It has always been my idea to have a very open approach and to engage artists and curators to have a dialogue with the collection. 

What do you want viewers to take away from the New York exhibition?

It is not that I just wanted to show my collection in New York. It is about the history of the collection and how it has always been a collaboration between artists, curators, and myself. The New Museum simply followed on that pattern. People can still hate the exhibition if they want to. That’s fine. But I want the facts to be out.

"The Imaginary Museum: Dakis Joannou Collection," March 3June 6, newmuseum.org.

"Dakis Joannou" originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Modern Painters. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Modern Painters' February 2010 Table of Contents.