ISLAND RECORDS COLLABORATES WITH UKRANIAN ARTIST ALEXEY KONDAKOV ON CHARITY NFT CAMPAIGN
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 char
"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, conceived by Island Records UK following a collaboration between the label and Kondakov in 2019, is supported by Bonhams, World Central Kitchen and The Giving Block.
For more information go to www.reverberateukraine.io
Artworks to be sold include:
"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."
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."
"The guide for how to stay alive during bombing states that there should be at least 3 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 3 walls to save us from missile attacks nearby"
"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 you 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".
"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".
"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".
About 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.
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About World Central Kitchen's and WCK's Chefs for Ukraine Response:
World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organisation that provides fresh meals in response to crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions.
WCK began serving hot meals within hours of the initial invasion of Ukraine, and quickly set up at the eight border crossings with Poland. WCK's Chefs for Ukraine response has grown rapidly, and is distributing nourishing food and fresh meals across the region, including Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain. In addition to WCK's field kitchen, WCK is working with local restaurants, caterers, and food trucks to provide fresh and comforting meals at border crossings, shelters, and other locations along their journey. In addition to hot meals, WCK is distributing bulk food product including produce and dry goods to restaurant partners in Ukraine to supplement the strained food supply chain.
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About Island Records UK:
Over 60 years on from its birth in Jamaica, Island Records, founded by Chris Blackwell, remains one of the most revered and respected labels in the world. The Island label has been responsible for the careers of some of the biggest stars in music including U2, Bob Marley, Grace Jones, Cat Stevens, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Toots & The Maytals, Marianne Faithfull, Aswad, Tom Waits, King Sunny Ade, Robert Palmer, Sly & Robbie, PJ Harvey, The Slits, Tom Tom Club, Pulp, Tricky and Talvin Singh. More recently Island has continued to shape culture with artists including Amy Winehouse, DJ Shadow, Keane, Mumford & Sons, Paul Weller, Hozier, Florence + The Machine, Ben Howard, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sean Paul, Disclosure, Ray Blk, The Specials, The Streets, Billy Porter, M Huncho, Unknown T, Dermot Kennedy, Arrdee, Yard Act, Sigrid, and Giggs.
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About Bonhams:
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and antiques, motor cars and luxury. It operates globally from flagship salerooms in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Hong Kong, with additional sales in Edinburgh and Sydney and has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries. Through its recent acquisition of Bukowskis in Stockholm, Skinner in Boston, US and Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen Bonhams also has a presence in those regions. This year Bonhams will hold more than 400 specialist sales across 53 different categories.
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About The Giving Block
The Giving Block is an industry leading crypto donation solution, which provides an ecosystem for nonprofits and charities to fundraise Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, be found by crypto donors, receive funds instantly, and become part of a network of crypto media partners to support their missions. Now supporting over 1400 nonprofits internationally, The Giving Block is enabling crypto holders to maximize their social impact and show that crypto is a force for good. This year The Giving Block plans to process over $500 million in cryptocurrency donations and has joined the Shift4 family of companies to help bring crypto giving mainstream.
"Reverberate Ukraine" by Ukrainian and Kyiv-based artist Alexey Kondakov to be auctioned via Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers, London on May 2nd with perpetual donation to World Central Kitchen's Chefs for Ukraine response providing nourishing food and fresh meals across the region.
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