Saatchi champions the work of British artists

The 34 works by 18 British artists during the 1990s will be handed over to the Arts Council Collection, which is run by the Hayward Gallery in London.

They will be seen at public exhibitions all over the country, starting at a new sculpture base for the collection, which opens in Yorkshire in June.

The Iraq-born businessman made a similar gesture in 1999, when 100 pieces were given to the collection and have since been lent to galleries nationwide.

The highlights of his second act of generosity include a "caravan giving birth to a trailer" and a set of dog's teeth.

I greatly admire the Arts Council Collection and its ongoing support over the years for young artists Charles Saatchi

Charles Saatchi said: "No institution does more than the Hayward Gallery on behalf of Arts Council England, to make contemporary art accessible through National Touring Exhibitions and loans to the nation's galleries and museums.

"It will give these artists a chance to be seen more widely across the country."

While the body deals with arts in England, the works are expected to tour other parts of the UK and possibly abroad.

The advertising magnate will open a new art gallery at London's County Hall next month.

The director of visual arts at Arts Council England, Marjorie Allthorpe-Guyton, said: "Charles Saatchi has done more than almost any other art patron to introduce the work of young British artists to a wider public.

"His second gift is an especially welcome addition to the collection and brings a new perspective to the 90s artists represented in the collection."

Click here to see some of the works

Amongst the major works being donated are:

• John Frankland's untitled full-size silver shed, 1994

• Siobhan Hapaska's Far, described as an opalescent fibreglass cloud, 1995

• Mark Quinn's I Need an Axe to Break the Ice, a latex balloon cocooned in glass, 1992

• Richard Wilson's Facelift, a full-size caravan giving birth to a trailer, 1991

• Jordan Baseman's 1995 Based On Actual Events - made from dogs' teeth and dental acrylic.

The first sighting of the works will be alongside 500 sculptures at the Longside Gallery in Yorkshire Sculpture Park in June.

The Arts Council Collection was launched in 1946 and is now the largest loan collection of modern and contemporary British art in the world.

It contains around 7,400 works, including paintings, sculpture, installations, works on paper, photographs, film and video.