War Child UK and Art on a Postcard have announced Sound & Vision, a new and innovative fundraising exhibition in partnership with 180 Studios featuring 33 leading artists responding to one iconic David Bowie lyric – We Like Dancing and We Look Divine.
The lyric is taken from Rebel Rebel. 2024 also marks the 50th anniversary of Diamond Dogs, the album the iconic anthem featured on.
George Underwood, the artist behind era-defining Bowie album covers likeHunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, as well as the first T. Rex album cover, has created new work for the exhibition. George and Bowie met at school, where they started a band. However, their musical partnership became short-lived when George punched David in a fight over a girl. Decades later, David was so moved by the angel sculptures George started making after the death of late Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson in 1993, he was quoted as saying “God, they made me cry!” George remained a lifelong friend of Bowie.
Bowie used his creativity to support War Child throughout his career. In 1994, Bowie, Brian Eno and Athena Eno curated‘Little Pieces from Big Stars’ an exhibition raising funds for War Child. 30 years on, Little Pieces from Big Stars inspires this exciting new exhibition from War Child – kickstarting Sound & Vision, a new annual auction pairing contemporary artists with beloved musicians.
Curated by Art on a Postcard founder Gemma Peppé, Sound & Vision also features new work from Stuart Semple, National Portrait Gallery BP Portrait Award-winning painter Ishbel Myerscough, Harland Miller, Jonathan Schofield, and Andrew Pierre Hart who currently has a show at The Whitechapel Gallery. Other highlights come from Leo Costelloe, Julia Soboleva, Peter Messer and Joseph Dupré – an NHS doctor and artist whose art is collected by the likes of Wes Anderson and the family of late visual artist Alice Neel.
Bowie was aware of not just the power of sound but also image – what you see – vision! Beyond making music Bowie also painted, not just on hotel mirrors, but that was the connection I made when I was asked to make a painting for this project.
– Harland Miller
War Child protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of children living in war zones. War Child provide vital support to children and their families in 14 countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America including in active conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza. The charity responds to emergency crisis situations with immediate aid, keeps children safe, and helps them through their trauma. War Child understand children’s needs and respect their rights.
Curator Gemma Peppé comments
the artists’ response to the Bowie theme has been overwhelming, with many creating new work for War Child UK. It’s heartening to see so many people show their support and use their talent to raise funds for this excellent cause.
This exhibition presents a much-needed opportunity to raise awareness and crucial funds for the children most affected by conflict.
War Child UK comment
for 30 years, War Child has been working with the music industry to make remarkable things happen. Sound & Vision comes as the charity’s latest wave of work across the creative industries as well as music to raise money to bring vital support to children suffering the brutal effects of war.
Sound & Vision Exhibition, 26th -27th September 2024, 180 Studios
The auction will run from 17th September – 1st October via The Auction Collective
Sound & Vision artist list
Alice Wilson, Andrew Hart, Aysha Nagieva, Caroline Wong, Charlie Stein, Cheri Smith, Elizabeth Abel, Eric Cruikshank, Fa Razavi, Florence Reekie, George Underwood, Harland Miller, Ioana Baltan, Ishbel Myerscough, Joe Machine, Jonathan Schofield, Joseph Dupré, Julia Soboleva, Katy Stubbs, Leo Costelloe, Lily Macrae, Marie Elisabeth Merlin, Micheal Rackowitz, Monika Marchewka, Noelia Towers, Nick Smith, Nick Grindrod, Patrick Hughes, Peter Messer, Sam Drake, Sol Golden Sato, Stuart Semple & Theo Gorst.
About
War Child is driven by a single goal – ensuring a safe future for every child affected by war. Using 30 years of experience and proven methodologies, War Child aims to reach children as quickly as possible when conflict breaks out and stays long after the cameras have gone to support them through their recovery. War Child works with local communities and governments to help protect and educate children, and support them to heal and learn, for a safer, brighter future. Because one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.
War Child understands children’s needs, respects and stands up for their rights, and puts them at the centre of everything it does. War Child boldly campaigns on the root causes of conflict and helps to amplify children’s voices, so that it can advocate for change on the issues that matter to them. Together with its partners, War Child delivers vital work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Every day, its local teams are in communities and refugee camps creating safe spaces for children to play, learn, and access psychological support. War Child also specialises in responding rapidly to emergency crisis situations as they happen, offering immediate and critical aid impartially to keep children safe and help them through their trauma.
War Child UK is a member of the War Child Alliance, a global foundation made up of five fundraising
offices and 14 programme offices. Registered charity number: 1071659 warchild.org.uk
