Over 100 artworks by renowned artists, architects and designers were auctioned at Somerset House on Wednesday the 14th of November, raising over £80,000 for Article 25, the UK??s leading construction charity that designs and delivers projects to provide better shelter where there is disaster, poverty or need.
As part of this year??s 10×10 Drawing the City London, renowned auction-house Sotheby??s brought the hammer down on twenty-eight lots at the live auction, including works by artists Jake & Dinos Chapman, architects Zaha Hadid, David Adjaye, Eric Parry and Norman Foster and fashion designer Paul Smith. The remaining lots were sold in a silent auction on the night as well as online throughout the preceding two-week exhibition.
Over 400 bidders attended the auction to compete for their favourite pieces and 100 of the luckiest walked away with exclusive artworks depicting the architecture of London.
Robin Cross, Acting CEO and Director of Projects, praised all involved: ?Through the generosity of our sponsors, Article 25 is able to run 10×10 Drawing the City with no overheads, which means every penny raised at the auction goes into our work to rebuild lives and transform communities. I heartily thank all the bidders who are enabling us to realise vital construction projects in some of the world??s poorest countries.??
Yesterday??s auction was the culmination of this year??s 10×10 Drawing the City, in which London??s West End was divided up into a 10 x 10 grid and participants assigned a square as inspiration for creating their artworks. Participants collectively took to the streets on a special drawing weekend in mid-September to draw their given squares. All the artworks were exhibited prior to auction in the newly refurbished West Wing Galleries of Somerset House.
