Art to Protect. Art to Support. 16 April — 31 December 2020

Wedel Art Collective launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on the power of contemporary art to raise funds for international relief efforts and artist support. Six leading international artists: Jenny Holzer, Rashid Johnson, Barbara Kruger, Raymond Pettibon, Lorna Simpson and Rosemarie Trockel, have created face masks, each an artistic response to current times. Together we aim to encourage sustainable mask-wearing to protect one another and help reduce the environmental impact of single-use face masks.

All proceeds from sales are donated to charity, 50% to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, and 50% divided between two charities working to support artists suffering financially from the pandemic. Based in the US, Artist Relief is an emergency coalition of national grant-makers who joined forces to give grants to artists facing dire financial need. In the UK, Common Practice is a partnership between UK-based not-for-profit spaces – providing direct support to emerging artists during and after COVID via ongoing commissions and initiatives.

Wedel Art Collective was founded by art advisor Amelie von Wedel and her team at Wedel Art, who were compelled by the growing pandemic both to raise funds for COVID-19 related charities and encourage more people to wear face masks to protect, and support. Joined by a likeminded group of product and branding experts working pro-bono, including Emma Winter, MATCHESFASHION, Pernilla Holmes, cultural communications experts Sutton, Zuumeo and Manufacture Textile Mhamdia, together the team made the idea a reality.

Wedel Art Collective masks are sold by global luxury destination MATCHESFASHION on a not-for-profit basis and are now available for purchase.

Find out more on the Wedel Art Collective Microsite here.