Auction to raise funds to aid 2018 Kerala floods victims

In an effort to raise funds to aid those affected by the disastrous Kerala floods in August last year, an art auction with masterworks on offer, will be held on January 18.

The proceeds from the Art Rises for Kerala (ARK), an auction by Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in collaboration by Mumbai-based auction house SaffronArt, will be directed to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund that is working to rebuild damaged infrastructure across the state.

"The Art Rises for Kerala auction is a chance for the global art community to come together and stand with Kerala in its time of need.

"We are grateful and humbled by the warm support from the art community for our home state, and very proud to exhibit these works to a public audience," Bose Krishnamachari, President of KBF, said.

The sale will feature works by significant figures from Indian art history like Amrita Sher-Gil, alongside contemporary masters like Anish Kapoor, A Ramachandran, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Anju and Atul Dodiya, Dayanita Singh, Manisha Parekh, Madhvi and Manu Parekh, Velu Viswanathan, Madhusudhanan, Shilpa Gupta, and Mithu Sen.

International artists like Francesco Clemente and Robert Montgomery will also be part of the auction.

The works have been opened for public viewing till January 17 at the Bastion Bungalow in Fort Kochi.

The auction will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Bolgatty Island.