LONDON.- Bonhams is auctioning five digital artwork NFTs by Ukrainian artist Alexey Kondakov, in partnership with Island Records, between 3 and 12 May, with 100% of the auction proceeds being donated to World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that is providing fresh, nourishing meals to people in Ukraine and those displaced in neighbouring countries. Following the auction, underlying NFT technology will be used to ensure that a portion of all secondary sales revenue also goes to World Central Kitchen, creating a perpetual donation route to charity.
The “Reverberate Ukraine” collection is composed of beautiful yet sobering reflections of life before the war and the current escalating situation in Kondakov’s home city, Kyiv, which has been under Russian invasion since 24 February 2022. Much like the artist’s previous works, each artwork tells a surreal, powerful story and contrasts classical paintings with everyday life, captured on his mobile phone.
Alexey Kondakov commented: “Reverberate Ukraine is me showing the world what it’s like living in a war. It’s the only thing I can do right now, living in Kyiv. I hope people can support by sharing these works. We knew nothing about war until it came to our house. There is no war if it does not touch you. We know about WWI and WWII, but we fail to truly recognise other wars around the world. If we don't see war, we are in peace. Is humanity civilized enough to not start wars? I’m not sure. But I think humanity has the ability to end wars, by sharing love and support. This is the only path to peace. Love can heal. Care and support can melt the coldest of hearts.”
The project was conceived by Island Records UK, following a collaboration between the label and Kondakov in 2019.
Bonhams have waived fees and commission to ensure this project can deliver 100% of primary sale proceeds to World Central Kitchen.
Nima Sagharchi, Bonhams Head of Digital Art, commented: “Bonhams is proud to be partnering with Island Records and Alexey Kondakov for this special charity auction to benefit World Central Kitchen in its efforts to provide fresh, nourishing meals to people in Ukraine and those displaced in neighbouring regions. Kondakov’s impactful works express the horrors of war, merging famous works of art with contrasting contemporary photographs. The effect is powerful, and these NFTs demonstrate the true potential of the medium – to really make a difference.”
Artworks to be sold include:
‘You Can’t Even Imagine It’
Це важко уявити
Features Lord Frederic Leighton “Electra at the Tomb of Agamemnon” 1869
Alexey Kondakov commented: “This artwork is about understanding and feeling war in your home. It’s hard to imagine it. No one wants to think about it, everyone thinks that they have a lucky ticket in life. And it’s easy to stay away if you don't know what war is and you just get tired of seeing the news. Unfortunately, only those who have seen the war can truly understand.”
“The photograph was taken near Lukyanivska metro station, which is near the center of Kyiv. A Russian missile hit the civilian house early morning on March 15.”
’Behind 3 Walls’
За трома стінами
Features Jules Frédéric Adolphe Loewe-Marchand “Myrrha” 1892
Alexey Kondakov commented: “The guide for how to stay alive during bombing states that there should be at least three walls between the outer wall of the building and the windows, preferably near a lift shaft or stairs which are less likely to be destroyed after bombing. In this case people sleep in common corridors of high-rise buildings because outside their flats there are no bomb shelters nearby.
“Photo taken at my parents' home, we had to move there and sleep on air mattresses outside the flat. Only in this case we have three walls to save us from missile attacks nearby”
‘Panic’
Паніка
Features Guillaume Seignac “Belgium, France and England before the German invasion” 1914
Alexey Kondakov commented: “Since the beginning of the war, the shelves in supermarkets began to empty. Each day is like a survival game, you wake up and plan to get something that can be stored for a long time: yeast to be able to bake bread by yourself, milk for your kids, medicines for diabetics. What will you be missing tomorrow or the day after? Are you ready to be helpless? Are you really prepared for the siege of your city?
“Photograph was taken nearby at Silpo supermarket, luckily not all the shelves were empty. People are doing everything to try and avoid a full-scale humanitarian crisis”.
‘Sleepless nights in Chernihiv’
Безсонна ніч у Чернігові
Features Lord Frederick Leighton “Lachrymae” 1894 -1895
Alexey Kondakov commented: “Air raid alerts go off several times during the night, so people have to wake up and run to the shelter. That is the pressure that Ukrainians face each day and night. War exhausts us. The idea of being killed at any moment sucks all the energy from people, this is a new weight we carry with us every day.
“Photograph taken on random yard of Chernihiv streets. I visited it for the first time 3 days before the war started. Now this part of the city is nearly destroyed by Russian forces”.
‘Peaceful evening in Kyiv’
Мирний вечір у Києві
Features Herbert James Draper “Lamia” 1909
Alexey Kondakov commented: “Each day and each moment there is a dream inside all Ukrainians: ‘what if war ends in one moment, right now or very soon? What a great life it would be! A different life, a life that we all did not have before. We will not waste a single moment of this peaceful life!”
“Photograph taken during a visit to a friend’s place in the center of Kyiv, Autumn 2021”.
Alongside the auction, 1,000 limited edition prints of ‘Peaceful evening in Kyiv’ will be sold via www.reverberateukraine.io for £100 each, with 100% proceeds donated to World Central Kitchen’s Chefs for Ukraine. Once the limited editions are sold out, a blue ‘open edition’ of the artwork will become available, from which all net proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen, echoing the ongoing charitable donation route enabled through the NFTs.
Alexey Kondakov:
Kyiv-based artist Alexey Kondakov uses surrealistic documentary photography to superimpose figures from classical artwork into everyday scenes of modern life. He is renowned for his collage series in which Kyiv, Ukraine served as the backdrop for characters from old world masterpieces. The artist merges the past and the present, showing with a deft eye how classical figures fit seamlessly into contemporary situations that, in themselves, are timeless. His work has been featured by Hypebeast, CNN, It’s Nice That and the Independent amongst others.
