A major philanthropic event raised in excess of £1.7 million at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, on Saturday 21st September 2019. Rolls-Royce’s ‘Evelina Art for Allergy x Dine on the Line’ was held in support of allergy research by Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
The star of the show was a very special Phantom, a collaboration between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and world-renowned artist Marc Quinn. The winning bidder of this headline lot is a valued collector of the marque. Mark Quinn will now create a bespoke artwork featuring the iris of the winning bidder’s daughter, using Rolls-Royce Phantom as his canvas.
The highly personalised and creative work of art raised an auspicious £888,000, with the generous patron excitedly bidding well over £1 million in total during the course of the evening. The artwork takes inspiration from Quinn’s on-going series of iris paintings, named We Share Our Chemistry with the Stars.
Torsten Müller–Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “Rolls-Royce is deeply privileged to have worked with Evelina London on this exceptional event. We are thrilled that Marc Quinn’s artwork, using Phantom as the canvas, raised a fabulous £888,000 and are humbled that nearly £2 million was raised in total throughout the evening for this centre of medical excellence in London.”
Commenting on the difference the donations will make, Professor Gideon Lack, Evelina London said, “The generous donations from the Art for Allergy event will make a dramatic difference to our research programme and to our mission to prevent allergies, to protect against allergies, and to ultimately cure allergies in children.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and event co-chairs Kate Storey and Marc Quinn for providing us with a fantastic platform to highlight the importance of our research and raise these significant funds. I would also like extend my heartfelt thanks to all of the guests, contributing artists and auction prize donors, without whom this achievement would not have been possible.”
The auction, led by globally acknowledged art auctioneer Simon de Pury, saw art world cognoscenti and Rolls-Royce collectors bid at an unprecedented pace. The auctioneer extraordinaire likened the artwork to John Lennon’s Phantom V, describing it as “the 21st century equivalent” of the legendary psychedelic motor car. The audience agreed as the staggering amount continued to rise generating rapturous applause.
Other phenomenal auction lots attracted substantial bids. Works by some of the world’s most sought-after artists included works by British artists Jake & Dinos Chapman, David Yarrow, Harland Miller and Mary McCartney. Proceeds generated from the auction will be donated to Evelina London to fund vital allergy research.
The evening of art, automotive and culinary experiences began with a cocktail reception, where British artist Jonathan Huxley created a new artwork, live at the event. In addition, LA-based media artist Refik Anadol, commissioned for the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, treated guests to an exclusive preview of his new work entitled Art of Perfection: Data Painting. Anadol’s unique work of digital art used data sets relating to the colour of every Rolls-Royce motor car created at the Home of Rolls-Royce over the last ten years.
The evening included an exquisite and immersive dining experience, where guests enjoyed a menu carefully curated by world-renowned chef, Giorgio Locatelli.
Following the auction, singer-songwriter John Newman entertained guests, before DJ Fat Tony closed out an extraordinary evening of philanthropy.
