08.02.2023

Saturday evening at the RA was attended by art connoisseurs from all over the world, the guests who care for art and the fate of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Before the charity event at the RA, a silent auction with works by established and young artists has been launched online.
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 the Academician Vira Barynova-Kuleba, Academician Anatoly Kryvolap, Academician Pavlo Makov, Volodymyr Manzhos (WaOne), Academician Lubomir Medvid, Honorary Academician Boris Mikhailov, Arsen Savadov, Sergei Sviatchenko, Academician Tiberiy Silvashi, Academician Victor Sydorenko, Oleg Tistol, Ruslan Tremba, Olesia Trofymenko, Gamlet Zinkivskyi, Tracey Emin, Oli Epp, Kim Faler, Ryan Gander, Antony Gormley, Allen Jones, Christopher Le Brun, Olaf Nicolai, Kitty Rice, Harry Rudham, Alaia de Santis, Siggi Sekira, David aiu Servan-Schreiber, Lisa Sharpe, Conrad Shawcross, Yinka Shonibare, Stephen Shore, Juergen Teller, Tatiana Drozd, Olga Kisseleva, Taisiya Polischuk, and Clare Woods.

Victor Sydorenko, 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 alive. The war will not deprive music, theatre, filmmaking, visual art, or art historians’ research. Neither in Kyiv nor 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 sincere gratitude to all the artists participating in the auction for contributing to the development of Ukrainian culture and art.”

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.”
Natalia Cola, President of the Natalia Cola Foundation, initiator and organizer of the event: “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.”
Under a mutual agreement between the Natalia Cola Foundation and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, 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.
The event was supported by Natalia Shpytkovska Art Advisory, Vogue Ukraine, Clara Zevi Consulting, and Giorgio Armani. The Academy would like to express deep gratitude to the Aleksandr Savchuk Foundation, headed by Taisiya Savchuk-Polishchuk, for their support and involvement in the charity project. The Academy's video presentation for the event was produced by Oles Sanin, a renowned Ukrainian film director and Vice-President of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. © Photos courtesy of Marcus Dawes, Gettyimages