- 15 Dec 2010 – 16 Dec 2010
- Level 40, The Gherkin.
THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A TRE-
What?
Oh, a silent auction. Sorry, we’ll switch to a conspiratorial whisper, then.
There seems to have been a trend recently for the merging of art and charity, usually in the form of an auction of some kind – you might remember that we’ve covered a few on this very site in recent months – and to us, it seems like an excellent idea. We’re all for the heady air of excitement which invariably swirls around an auction, especially if larger sums of money are involved, although we have to say, we don’t think we can be trusted to bid ourselves. Ebay, for example, usually hold us tightly in its grasp whenever we’re trying to land a last-minute blow; we can’t tell you the number of times that we’ve sat up on a Thursday night waiting for bidding to close on some mental object d’art or other, foaming at the mouth, only to accidentally bid about three times higher than our maximum because we were ‘caught up in the moment’ and felt that we couldn’t live without a life-size cutout of John Waters. Those with a greater degree of self-control (or, perhaps, with more money to burn), might have some luck at the upcoming Oxfam-affiliated silent auction of work by the fashion photographer Shalina, who has, this time, turned her lens onto the Himalayas. Quoth the press release:
Switching from high fashion to high altitude, Shalina, the fashion photographer has captured the soul of the Himalayas in a journey to the region of Ladakh in Northern India.
The LADAKH series, a collection of 14 photographs, each in a limited edition of 10, are to feature in a spectacular one-night solo exhibition at the City of London’s most recognised landmark, The Gherkin. A silent auction will be held with all proceeds to benefit Oxfam’s work in India and Pakistan, specifically the flood relief campaign.
Oxfam and its partners are currently helping more than 1.4 million people in Pakistan’s flood affected areas, providing drinking water and sanitation. They are trucking water, installing water tanks, repairing wells and water pipes to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. The work also involves providing hygiene kits to help people who have lost everything in the floods, carrying out community clean-up campaigns, running cash-for-work programmes, and providing shelter to the survivors during winter.
The LADAKH series is much more than the Himalayas, more than just mountains and skies. With a keen eye for the dramatic texture of the landscape, LADAKH encompasses timeless scenes of both severe and secluded beauty. In an ever-shrinking world, the photographs offer a simultaneous sense of familiarity and seclusion – we as spectators are invited to find our personal connection with the pieces.
Grown-up and sharp, the LADAKH series transcends geo-political fixations and narrow definitions. Rather than defining the geographical location of its subjects the images highlight an international and universal aesthetic.
And in turn, in appealing to our universal aesthetic, this exhibition takes us on our own journey that highlights the need for all humanity to support a very worthwhile cause.
The auction is invitation-only, and is being held at Level 40, The Gherkin on the 15th of December, 2010.
Oxfam (Click Here)
