On the 27th November, the annual 10×10 Drawing the City London auction took place at The Shard. The bidders raised over £100,000 for the charity Article 25, making it the most successful auction in the history of the annual event. The money raised will support Article 25’s healthcare building projects in the developing world.
10×10 was attended by 250 invited guests drawn from the culture, architecture, design and property communities of London. The panoramic views from The Shard provided a spectacular backdrop to the display of over 100 works of art created by some of the UK’s leading architects, designers and artists, many of whom also attended, including: Angela Brady, Celia Birtwell, Chris Wilkinson, Eva Jiricna, Ian Ritchie, Norman Ackroyd, Peter Murray, Rab Bennetts, Richard Wilson, Sam Jacob, Sunand Prasad and Will Alsop.
Robert Elms of BBC London hosted the evening, encouraging the guests to dig deep for a wonderful cause, and Irvine Sellar, developer and joint owner of The Shard gave a welcoming address. Sunand Prasad, Chair of the Trustees of Article 25, and Tim Makower, creator of the 10×10 concept, also spoke, giving guests an insight into the impact that 10×10 makes on the lives of communities in the developing world. Auctioneer Adrian Biddell, “Head of 19th Century European Paintings at Sothebys, played a star turn, ensuring that the live auction of 27 of the artworks was brimful of excitement.
Anthony Gormley’s work fetched the highest bid, with Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre Architects placing the winning bid of £6,500. Karl Singporewala’s chess set of London landmark buildings took the second highest bid at £6,000. Norman Ackroyd’s watercolour of The Shard went for almost ten times its guide price of £200-£300, reaching £2,800. The live auction opened with a model of The Leadenhall Building (popularly known as the Cheesegrater) signed by Richard Rogers, Graham Stirk and Ivan Harbour going for £2,800, and closed on a high with a signed print of The Shard by the building’s architect Renzo Piano fetching £2,500.
“Each year 10×10 provides an incredible boost to Article 25, not only because so many of our projects rely on the funds raised from the event but also because of the support and enthusiasm shown by so many people towards our work, says Robin Cross, Managing Director of Article 25.
“Article 25 is a small charity with limited resources and 10×10 could not happen each year without the inspiring and generous support of all those who participate: artists, hosts, guests, sponsors , pro bono supporters, and the journalists who help spread the word about 10×10. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you and to the dedicated team at Article 25 who worked tirelessly over the last few months to make the event such a resounding success.
Special thanks must also go to The Shard – your generous partnership has ensured that this year’s 10×10 has been incredibly special and memorable”.
