The exhibition runs at Somerset House, London from 14 March – 22 April 2012. The auction is planned at Christie’s on 3 May 2012.
Tracey Emin and Gillian Wearing were among the high profile artists to turn up to the gala viewing and silent auction held at Somerset House last night.It was a well organised affair with speeches by the crisis organisers and sponsors. Jonathan Yeo, Antony Gormley, Yinka Shonibare, Gillian Wearing, Bob & Roberta Smith, Nika Neelova, Nathan Coley and Sir Anthony Caro were included among the artists who have created new works for The Crisis Commission exhibition, which aims to raise awareness and money for the homeless charity Crisis.
The exhibition runs at Somerset House, London from 14 March – 22 April 2012. The auction is planned at Christie’s on 3 May 2012. Yinka Shonibare’s figure stands dressed in colourful fabric, overloaded by the weight of antique suitcases stacked high on his back. For a head, he has a constellation globe etched with a quote from Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist: “Bleak, dark, and piercing cold, it was a night for the well-housed and fed to draw round the bright fire, and thank God they were at home; and for the homeless starving wretch to lay him down and die.” This is Homeless Man (2012) a life scaled sculpture and one of nine artists commissioned by Crisis, the charity for single homeless people.
The Crisis Commission has brought together some of the best known British artists of our time, presenting major new works in a spectacular exhibition and auction. The landmark event highlights the homeless and vulnerably housed clients of Crisis. Crisis is a national charity for single homeless people. They are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Crisis’s innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. They measure success and can demonstrate tangible results and value for money. They are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and direct experience. They have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. Crisis knows, ” We won’t end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and, together, make change happen”.
The Crisis Commission exhibition takes place in one of London’s most prestigious venues, Somerset House, 14 March – 22 April 2012. A following auction of exhibited works will take place at Christie’s on Thursday 3 May, with all proceeds going to Crisis, the UK’s national charity for single homeless people.
Photo Tracey Emin and Gillian Wearing © ArtLyst 2012