LONDON.- The United Artists collective announced a new major initiative, the United Artists For Ukraine. The project will raise vital funds and awareness for Ukrainian cultural institutions and cultural projects in Ukraine severely impacted by the ongoing war. According to UNESCO, over 150 cultural sites have been partially or completely destroyed in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
The collective’s initiative, United Artists for Ukraine, aims to help rebuild Ukrainian Culture and to preserve the conditions for art and culture to blossom once more. The collective is an international community of collectors, curators and leading contemporary artists such as Marina Abramovic, Ron Arad, Luc Tuymans, Francesco Vezzoli, Douglas Gordon, and Ivan Messac and galleries including, Thaddeus Ropac, Perrotin and Nahmad projects, first launched during the Brexit campaign to champion European culture.
A new digital membership card is being launched through LaCollection’s platform from Wednesday 26th October, issued as an NFT, which gives holders access to private visits to artists' studios of the collective, alongside events across the international art scene with participating partners. On sale from 500 Euros through lacollection.io, funds raised will be distributed across eight projects chosen through the Ukrainian Institute of Culture.
Benefits include a private tour by Ron Arad of his art studio in Camden Town London, a meeting with the greatest collector of modern art, David Nahmad, and a tour of Art Basel with a curator The collective will host a charity auction to launch the collection on 6 November at Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, coinciding with the end of the auction on LaCollection’s platform. The initiative is organised by Franco-English foundation The Hexagon Society, and will be hosted by French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang.
This first drop of NFT member’s cards, are designed by rising Ukrainian artist Irina Ozarinskaya. Graphic portraits of 10 famous artists including Basquiat, Cezanne and Durer, will be sold as either a ‘legendary’ card with the artist’s signature or under 3 levels of rarity: Ultra Rare, Rare or Common. Artists of the collective have also donated artwork, including Ron Arad’s NFT artwork Is Art really relevant these days?!? and Abdellah Qandeel’s oil painting La dolce Vita, which members have access to for a discounted price or through exchange.
