Charity auction to benefit the NAA of Ukraine

Last Saturday, January 28, 2023, the charity auction Art Without Borders to benefit the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine was held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The project was conceived by the Natalia Cola Foundation. The event included an art preview cocktail followed by the charity dinner and auction. Natalia Shpytkovska Art Advisory was honoured to be a Partner and an Advisory for the event.

Saturday evening at the RA was attended by art connoisseurs from all over the world. It was an honour to welcome the guests who care for art and the fate of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Before the charity auction on the 28th of January, a silent auction with works by established and young artists has been launched online.

The declared total amount collected at the auction exceeds 200 thousand pounds. The exact amount raised will be announced after the charitable contributions are received on the account of the Public Organization (NGO) "All-Ukrainian Academy of Arts" within a month from the date of the event.

Funds were raised for urgent structural repair to the NAAU buildings, provision of the equipment, support of scientific, publishing and exhibition activities of the NAAU, grant programme for Ukrainian artists, and digitisation support of the institution.

Both British and Ukrainian academicians, as well as international artists, have kindly donated their creative works to be sold for the benefit of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Among the artists who donated their artworks for the auction were Vira Barynova-Kuleba, Tracey Emin, Oli Epp, Kim Faler, Ryan Gander, Antony Gormley, Allen Jones, Anatoly Kryvolap, Christopher Le Brun, Pavlo Makov, Volodymyr Manzhos (WaOne), Lubomir Medvid, Boris Mikhailov, Olaf Nicolai, Kitty Rice, Harry Rudham, Alaia de Santis, Arsen Savadov, Siggi Sekira, David aiu Servan-Schreiber, Lisa Sharpe, Conrad Shawcross, Yinka Shonibare, Stephen Shore, Tiberiy Silvashi, Sergei Sviatchenko, Victor Sydorenko, Juergen Teller, Oleg Tistol, Tatiana Drozd, Olga Kisseleva, Taisiya Polischuk, Ruslan Tremba, Olesia Trofymenko, Clare Woods, Gamlet Zinkivskyi.

The event was supported by Natalia Shpytkovska Art Advisory, Vogue Ukraine, Clara Zevi Consulting, Giorgio Armani. Special thanks to the Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation headed by Taisiya Savchuk-Polishchuk for the kind support and active participation in the charity project. The Academy's video presentation for the event was produced by Oles Sanin, Vice-President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine and a renowned Ukrainian film director.

It was a great honour to welcome the Secretary and CEO of the Royal Academy of Arts Axel Rüger; the 27th President of the Royal Academy Rebecca Salter; the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Vadym Prystaiko; actress and social and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger; British artists Yinka Shonibare and Conrad Shawcross; art curator Tiffany Zabludowicz; Ukrainian artist and President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine Victor Sydorenko; art dealer, collector, and expert James Butterwick; philanthropist, Honorary patron and Ambassador of the NAAU Taisiya Savchuk-Polishchuk; creative director and founder of Bettter brand Julie Pelipas; Vogue Ukraine Publisher Julia Kostetska; art collector, jewellery expert and founder of the Strong & Precious brand Olga Oleksenko; violinist and the Honored Artist of Ukraine Bogdana Pivnenko, and other guests to the significant event. We are grateful for the kind support of Eddie Prilepsky and Antonina Solonevych, Daniel and Polina Goldin, Liliya Tippetts, Victoria Kukuruza, and many other supporters.

Natalia Cola, the President of the Natalia Cola Foundation, initiator and organizer of the event at the RA: “The project was conceived to ensure the effective functioning of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, as a platform for reflecting the achievements of Ukrainian culture both in Ukraine and abroad. The timely support of the establishments, like the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, secures the continuous development of Ukrainian culture, one of the pillars of the nation.”

Axel Rüger, the Secretary and CEO of the Royal Academy of Arts: “This evening, the Royal Academy of Arts is honoured to host the event to celebrate art and, hopefully, help the partner institution in Ukraine – the National Academy of Arts. The help is essential for the establishment in the times of ongoing war and post-war development of arts and culture of Ukraine.”

Vadym Prystaiko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK: “For several years, because of the aggression of Russia, our country has been suffering industrial and cultural losses. Last year upon the full-scale war, it has become life-threatening to our nation. It is far from being the first time in our history… Cities, industrial institutions, historic sites and monuments, cultural establishments, museums and theatres are under shelling or devastated. It is vital to act on every level of defence and support to Ukraine.”

Victor Sydorenko, the President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine: “Regardless of the devastating war, despite the power cuts caused by missile strikes and drone attacks, Ukrainian art is still thriving. The war will not deprive music, theatre, filmmaking, visual art, or art historians’ research. Neither in Kyiv or in other cities of Ukraine. On behalf of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, I am grateful to the initiators and organizers of this auction, and I hope that the engagement of our foreign friends, connoisseurs of contemporary Ukrainian art, will contribute to supporting Ukrainian artists in the complicated conditions of war. I would like to express my special gratitude to all the artists participating in the auction for supporting Ukrainian culture and art.”