The Art of Saving Lives Fundraising Charity Auction at the V&A features Ukraine's New Renaissance Movement

Humanitarian project The Art of Saving Lives, presented by American NGO Revival Foundation, partnered with Art Shield on a fundraising charity auction on 22nd August. The event was presented at the V&A in the prestigious Raphael Hall.

The Art of Saving Lives was founded by Aksenia Krupenko, President of the Revival Foundation, Washington D.C., USA. Revival Foundation organized the Gala Auction Dinner dedicated to the "Art of Saving Lives" in the prestigious V&A Museum as an extraordinary event showcasing Ukraine's rich history, vibrant present, and promising future.

The gala auction dinner was an immersive and interactive experience held in the V&A Raphael Hall, a symbolic choice of venue since the contemporary Renaissance of Ukrainian art was represented in a room hung with paintings by a Master of the Italian Renaissance.

Aksenia conceived the auction as a way of bringing together Ukrainian artists, filmmakers and creators representing Ukraine’s New Renaissance Movement, for a silent and live auction raising vital funds to create healing art spaces for children in Ukrainian bomb shelters and provide vital equipment.

About the Art of Saving Lives

· The Art of Saving Lives has five main goals: to empower creatives, preserve heritage, educate creators, facilitate cultural exchange, and, most importantly, catalyse a creative Renaissance.

· The Art of Saving Lives supports the diplomacy culture Mission to unite the world through Art, Music, Fashion, and Creativity. The Art of Saving Lives is on a mission of cultural unity, fostering connections between Ukraine and countries worldwide on the path toward humanity.

Aksenia Krupenko, Art of Saving Lives Founder and President of the Revival
Foundation comments: “Creation cannot stop the bullets, but creation is a way to move forward. I believe that the world can be united through art, music and creativity, and our contribution is a catalyst. Art of Saving Lives is a project that declares the most prestigious artwork in the world is: human life.”

Proceeds from the Art of Saving Lives charity auction will be used to create the ‘Healing Garden’, a unique art space providing art therapy for children and adults in bomb shelters in Ukraine. As well as funding the ‘Healing Garden’ art spaces, proceeds from the fundraising auction will be used to purchase essential equipment for the bomb shelters, such as medicine and food.

The auction was presided over by Natalia Voinova, associate director of Christie’s Auctioneers. Guests from 15 countries gathered at the V&A for the fundraising gala, and the event provided a unique opportunity to present Ukrainian art, music and creativity, fulfilling Akesnia’s belief that "creativity is bespoke dialogue".

The Art of Saving Lives and Art Shield aim to raise awareness about modern Ukrainian art through the event, and unite people through art, music and creativity. The Art of Saving Lives provides a global platform for recognition of the most exceptional Ukrainian art.

Ukrainian artists who donated artworks to the auction include; Oksana Mas, Zhanna Kadyrova, Arsen Savadov, Nazar Bilyk, Artem Volokitin, Lina Condes, Meshi / Kepler, Kyryl Yelchyts and Volodymr Koziuk.

One of the most unique lots was a Oksana Mas Angels mosaic made of 2560 art objects, wooden painted elements in the shape of eggs by. Oksana Mas Angels exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2011.

The MURALS project by Ukrainian 3D artist Artem Ivanenko and team from PL, US, SP, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, was screened during the gala. MURALS is an immersive documentary experience based on artworks created by Banksy on the walls of war-destroyed houses in the Kyiv region of Ukraine.

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Auction highlights further included an artifact from The War Fragments Museum and a rare bottle of Deocoupage wine. A rare $1,000 bottle of Deocoupage wine with a label designed by Gamlet, sometimes referred to as the ‘Banksy of Kyiv, was auctioned off at the event.

The wine has an intriguing story - it’s made from a blend of grapes grown in the backyards of residents of Izium Ukraine, while the city was under Russian occupation from April to September 2022. When human rights activist Tetiana Burianova visited Izium that November, the people who survived were eager to share their stories and homegrown fruit with her. Burianova hand-collected the grapes, brought them to a Kyiv-based winemaker and created 200 bottles of Deocoupage, a deeply political wine.

A highlight of the evening was a joint appearance by Ukrainian musician Evgen Khmara and Ukrainian Chef Yurii Kovryzhenko, who auctioned off a concert and private dinner for £24,000. There was also a surprise appearance by Moisei Bondarenko, a Ukrainian violinist on the frontline, who donated his violin for auction. Touched by Moisei’s generous gesture, Oksana Mas donated her artwork ‘Quantam Prayer’, which was auctioned off with the violin for £35,000.

Philanthropists Donald and Johanna Hoffmanpurchased the violin and ‘Quantam Prayer’, promptly returning the violin back to Moisei, claiming it belongs with him on the front lines.

People from around the world joined and participated in the Gala auction. Ivor Ichikowitz, a philanthropist and art collector from South Africa, along with Olga Iakovenko, a philanthropist and art collector, purchased the unique artwork "Art: The Synergy of Consciousness." This piece was created through the collective energy of the Ukrainian people, including a 2.5-year-old child born on the day the war began, soldiers, and 20 artists from the war zone.

Top lots auctioned off on the night include;

· Oksana Mas ‘Angels’ £65,000

· Oksana Mas ‘Quantum Prayer, Red’, £35,000

· Zhanna Kadyrova ‘Palianytsia’, £9.300

· Arsen Savadov ‘Danae’, £40.000

· Nazar Bilyk, ‘Reveling’, £11.000

· Meshi / Kepler ‘She is Protected. First People. Origin of Love’, £7,000

· Artem Volokitin, ‘Still Life in a Stone Niche Duplix’, £20.000

· Lina Condes, ‘The Thinker’, £30.000

· Kyryl Yelchyts, ‘Lamp #012 Through the Darkness to the Light’, £7.000

· Volodymyr Koziuk, ‘Synergy of Consciousness’, £11.000

· War Fragments Museum, £10,700.

About the Art of Saving Lives Team

There is an overarching theme of unity and connectivity running through the Art of Saving Lives project. The team are talented Ukrainian creatives and creators living all over the world, including filmmakers, fashion designers and artists. Aksenia Krupenko invited the following team members to London to make the Art of Saving Lives fundraising event possible;

· Oksana Dudko, Miami, US - Executive Producer

· Artem Ivanenko, Irpin, Ukraine - Digital Content Creator and Creator of MURALS.

· Maksym Dudko, Kyiv, Ukraine - Digital Content and Sound Creator.

· Nataliya Vyetrova, Washington, DC, US - Costume Creator.

· Yurii Kovryzhenko, Dubai - Executive Chef.

· Ostap Khytruk, Portugal - Digital Content creator.

· Olena Speranska, New York, US – Art Catalogue creator.

· Kateryna Orlovska, London, UK - Fashion Atelier.

· Ihor Kokhan - Kyiv, Ukraine - Brand Designer.

· Ksenia Bugrimova - Visual Content Producer.

Proceeds from the charity auction will be used to create the ‘Healing Garden’, a unique, interactive, immersive art space providing art therapy for children and adults in bomb shelters in Ukraine. As well as funding the ‘Healing Garden’ art spaces, proceeds from the fundraising auction will be used to purchase essential equipment for the bomb shelters, such as medicine and food.

The Art of Saving Lives founder Aksenia Krupenko believes in collective energy and in uniting foundations and organizations for the greater good. Aksenia met Art Shield founder Edward Akrout in 2022, and they connected over a shared passion for philanthropy and belief in the power of creativity to heal.

Art Shield Founder Edward Akrout explains: “There is a profoundly inspiring yet tragic cultural phenomenon happening in Ukraine. Are we witnessing the last generation of Ukranian Artists or the most defining generation of Artists in the 21st century? The answer lies in our capacity to mobilize ourselves for Ukraine. It was my privilege to partner with the Art of Saving Liives foundation. Aksenia Krupenko is a force of nature carving the road ahead.”

Art Shield is a global non-profit organization founded by Anglo-French Actor Edward Akrout to nurture and empower artists around the world threatened by censorship, oppression or war. The actor known for roles in ‘Killing Eve’ ‘The Borgias’, ‘Rodin’ and ‘Intermission’, a film that follows classically trained actors into UAF. The mission of Art Shield is to provide a platform for artists living and working in war zones around the world, born out of a conviction that art and culture can provide an emotional lifeline to people living through conflict.

Edward Akrout explains: “I realized the importance of an initiative like Art Shield when I saw audience members in Kyiv walking down dark streets with flashlights to attend plays in dark, cold theatres, lit only by candlelight. This experience made me realize that the Maslow hierarchy was wrong art sits at the top of human needs.”

Art Shield will be opening a gallery space in London’s Mayfair this autumn to raise more funds for their charity work with artists in war zones.

Aksenia Krupenko, President of the Revival Foundation, USA, founded The Art of Saving Lives as a way of combining her passion for humanitarian work with her interest in art. The project is a mission of cultural unity, fostering connections between Ukraine and countries around the world on the path toward humanity. Krupenko is passionate about humanitarian efforts, and her past projects include “Food for Good”, a socioeconomic program that supports Ukrainian producers and manufacturers and provides thousands of Ukrainian families with food in war-torn regions.

· Since March 2022, the Revival Foundation has sent 13 Airbus 330s, 35 sea containers, and 650 tons of humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Ukraine.

· All hospitals in Ukrainian critical zones receive medical equipment and supplies continuously.

Aksenia has defeated the bureaucracy and delivered humanitarian aid effectively and in a timely manner, in accordance with her motto, “Time is Life”. She explains: “There was no bureaucracy, no paperwork. We simply trusted people’s words and moved forward with the plans.”

FOOD FOR GOOD

Aksenia Krupenko’s passion for humanitarian efforts is evident in her creation of "Food for Good", a socio-economic program which provides essential aid to thousands of Ukrainian families in war regions. This initiative supports local producers and factories, ensures job retention, and fosters social coherence, embodying Ms. Krupenko's strong belief in diplomacy and humanity.