About
Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, Sir Anthony Caro, Yinko Shonibare, Gillian Wearing, Jonathan Yeo, Bob & Roberta Smith, Nathan Coley and Nika Neelova come together for the must see art event for London in 2012
The Crisis Commission sees some of the most celebrated artists of our day unite to bring major new works to a spectacular exhibition and auction in spring 2012. The landmark event will be a highlight of London's art scene, bringing together contemporary artists of the highest calibre who have rarely, if ever, exhibited together before.
The exhibition takes place in one of London's most prestigious venues, Somerset House, 14th March 22nd April 2012. An auction of exhibited works will follow at Christie's on Thursday 3rd May, with all proceeds going to Crisis, the UK's national charity for single homeless people. The cost of creating the works will be met by lead sponsor GlaxoSmithKline.
Responding to themes and issues relating to homelessness - isolation, property, security, space leading artists Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Yinka Shonibare, Jonathan Yeo, Gillian Wearing, Bob & Roberta Smith, Nika Neelova and Nathan Coley will all donate new works for the exhibition. Sir Anthony Caro will donate an existing work.
The Crisis Commission will raise awareness around a reality faced by an increasing number of people. As the economic downturn and austerity measures bite, homelessness is again on the rise in the UK.
Homeless and vulnerably housed clients of Crisis will have their work exhibited alongside the established artists for the duration of the Crisis Commission. The clients will be drawn from Crisis' year-round art classes, held at Crisis' Skylight Centres in London, Newcastle, Birmingham, Merseyside and Oxford.
The Crisis Commission is pleased to be supported by eminent patrons in the art world: Julia Peyton Jones, Co-director of the Serpentine Gallery; Kathleen Soriano, Director of Exhibitions at Royal Academy of Arts; Francis Outred, International Director and Head of the Post-War and Contemporary Art for Christie's; Godfrey Worsdale, Director of BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art; and Daphne Guinness.