On the power of art: how the Art Without Borders initiative contributed to changes at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine

Three years ago, the Art Without Borders charity auction was held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, featuring works by the most famous British and Ukrainian artists, including Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, and Boris Mikhailov. More than £240,000 was raised in support of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. The auction was initiated by The Natalia Cola Foundation, headed by Ukrainian philanthropist Natalia Cola.

Summing up its results, vogue.ua tells how the partnership between two art institutions — the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine — contributes to real change.

In a conversation with Vogue.ua, recalling the auction, philanthropist Natalia Cola is sincere and emotional. When she and the team at The Natalia Cola Foundation, which supports art and culture in the UK and beyond, conceived the auction, they had no idea they would raise a quarter of a million pounds sterling for the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. For Natalia Cola, who was born and raised in Kyiv and has lived in London since 2008, this project is special: she herself graduated from this capital university, where she studied art history.

In a conversation with Vogue.ua, recalling the auction, philanthropist Natalia Cola is sincere and emotional. When she and the team at The Natalia Cola Foundation, which supports art and culture in the UK and beyond, conceived the auction, they had no idea they would raise a quarter of a million pounds sterling for the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. For Natalia Cola, who was born and raised in Kyiv and has lived in London since 2008, this project is special: she herself graduated from this capital university, where she studied art history.

The auction took place at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, a legendary institution whose alums included artists such as William Turner, John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. The partnership between the Royal Academy of Arts and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine is historic, as it is the first time a British institution has supported another cultural institution outside the UK to raise funds. "The Royal Academy has a 250-year history, and the Ukrainian Academy has never been involved in such a level of cooperation before, so for us this was a moment of real recognition and pride for our native cultural institution," says Natalia Kola.

The auction, which was attended by Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko, Studio54 party star Bianca Jagger, creative director of upcycle platform BETTTER Yulia Pelipas, Ukrainian Vogue publisher Yulia Kostecka and editor-in-chief Venya Brykolin, featured 28 lots. Among them were works by star artists: graphics by Anthony Gormley and Tracey Emin; a photograph by Jürgen Teller taken in Kyiv's Hydropark in 2007; and works by Boris Mikhailov, Vira Barynova-Kuleba, Oleg Tistol and Pavel Makov. According to Natalia Kola, many international artists exhibited in Ukraine before the invasion. "For many of the Royal Academy members who donated their works, the auction was a simple and meaningful way to express solidarity with Ukraine and an opportunity to support specific needs within this historic partnership between the two arts institutions."

The auction raised over £240,000. The main funds were distributed between three areas: renovation of the buildings of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, a grant program for Ukrainian artists and financial assistance to Ukrainian academicians, as well as the continuation of the academy's research, publishing and exhibition activities, and the development of the website and social networks.

[10.04.2026 12:24] Daria Slobodianyk: According to Natalia Shpytkovskaya, curator and advisor to the president of the National Academy of Arts, at that time the most urgent was the repair of the Academy building's roof, which was already in a semi-dilapidated state. "In conditions of war risks, this issue was, without exaggeration, about the preservation of the Academy building and working premises, archives and funds. In addition, some engineering systems were modernised, technical equipment was updated to support scientific and administrative work, and acceptable conditions were established to ensure more stable functioning during power outages. These steps are not always publicly visible, but they form the foundation for further activities, even in times of great trials, when Russian attacks do not stop."

Thanks to Art Without Borders, Ukrainian institutions were also able to continue their active exhibition activities. One of the key projects implemented with the auction's support was the exhibition "Concentration of Will". The large-scale inter-institutional initiative took place at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, the Central Museum of Contemporary Art M17 and the Institute of Problems of Contemporary Art of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. The exhibition was an artistic reflection on the experience of war and the Ukrainian understanding of will, not an abstract category, but the daily inner workings of society.

"It is also important that 'Concentration of Will' initiated consistent inter-institutional cooperation," adds Natalia Shpytkovska, head of the M17 art centre. "Together, we have already implemented two large-scale exhibition projects that unfolded in three spaces and formed a single conceptual line – in 2024-2025, the second project continued this cooperation – "Formula of Endurance". We are currently preparing the third – "Cloud Storage", which will soon open in the spaces of three partner institutions." Summing up, Shpytkovska says: Art Without Borders has shown that art can be an effective tool of diplomacy, financial support and consolidation. These are specific funds for repairs, equipment, and digitalisation. These are new international contacts and the country's reputational capital.

Artist Viktor Sydorenko, President of the National Academy of Arts, recalls that during the auction he was impressed by the support of foreign artists, as well as by the professionalism of the team at The Natalia Cola Foundation and the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK. "Anthony Gormley, Tracey Emin – the fact that world-class artists contributed their works to the auction, of course, greatly influenced the result. This collaboration is about how strong we, artists and communities, can be together."

The Natalia Kola Foundation plans to continue collaborating with Ukrainian institutions. "The ideas of Art Without Borders shape the foundation's mission: to promote, support, and expand access to culture, education, and artistic activity — especially when they are under threat."