A stunning collection of 36 pieces of jewellery created as part of the 2010 "Bijoux" Eco Art Parade will be auctioned off by Sotheby's on November 13 in Abu Dhabi – the culmination of an artistic event which will have travelled across the globe from Monte Carlo to Abu Dhabi via Singapore and Tokyo before the final gala dinner auction to be held at the exclusive development of Nurai Island off the coast of the UAE's capital city.
Held under the High Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, the 2010 Eco Art Parade auction marks the first time this inspirational program comes to the Middle East.
The private and exclusive auction event will be jointly hosted by His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nayhan and His Serene Highness Prince Albert ll who will fly in from Monaco exclusively for the event on the eve of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race at Yas Marina Circuit. The attendees will include an exceptional line up of 350 international celebrities and VVIPs such as Sir Richard Branson, Baroness Marianne Branstetter, Sir Roger Moore, Yves Piaget, Countess Esther de Pommery, Princess Bennedetta Pignatelli, and top Formula One drivers to name but a few of the expected guests. The auction will be conducted by Sotheby's Deputy Chairman (Europe) Lord Poltimore and the Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be the 13times Formula One winner David Coulthard.
The 2010 "Bijoux Eco Art Parade" is organised by Eco Art International which is an organization based in the Principality of Monaco that conceives and promotes artistic exhibitions that associate art with ecological concerns and sustainable development. The organization hosted its first exhibition in 2008 for the United Nation's Environmental Summit meeting in Monaco. This "Art-Ecology" exhibition had 35 international artists exhibit their inspirations in the gardens of the Casino of Monte Carlo. For 2009 the organization conceived the idea of adopting the theme of endangered birds and the first Eco Art Parade was born that year; with the proceeds from the auction of US$1 million donated to the Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco in support of ecological conservation causes.
"Last year we exhibited 55 sculptures of the endangered Bonelli Eagle which is native to the Mediterranean region including Monte Carlo. With these sculptures soaring up to two metres in height throughout our principality; the impressive exhibit made quite an impact," says Angela Van Wright, Co-Founder of Eco Art International "As we wished for this year's Eco Art Parade to travel internationally, such an installation of art would have been impractical. The idea of designing unique pieces of precious jewellery inspired by an endangered bird allowed us to have the same level of impact in a much more delicate format," she added.
This year the Saker Falcon of the UAE and the Calao Hornbill of Singapore are the two endangered species of birds chosen by Eco Art International as the theme for their 2010 "Bijoux" Eco Art Parade. The elegant birds have been fashioned into 36 intricate one-of-a-kind jewels by 32 international jewelers /designers including the likes of Pomellato, Carlo Cerlati , David Shilling, Milena Zevu, MCL, and Kenzo.
The auction of this 2010 "bijoux" Parade sponsored by Una Energy and The Farjam Collection will donate 100% of the proceeds to five charitable organizations: The Foundation Prince Albert II of Monaco, BirdLife International, The Una Energy Children's Fund, The Hafiz Foundation and a Humanitarian Foundation from the UAE which will be named by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan .
"The Japanese Imperial Princess Hisako Takamado is the honorary president of one of the benefitting organizations – Birdlife International – so we decided to choose a bird native to Asia as one of the inspirations for the collection. When Abu Dhabi was chosen as the venue for our auction; given its growing stature as a global art hub through the Saadiyat Island landmarks, we selected the majestic and much loved Saker Falcon as our second endangered species to inspire this collection," concluded Ms Van Wright.
Commenting on why Nurai Island was chosen as the location of the event, Nadia Zaal, Co-Founder and CEO of Zaya, the boutique real estate developer of Nurai Island, said: "As an Emirati, I felt a strong connection to the choice of the Saker Falcon as one of the inspirational themes for the creation of this jewelry collection. As a symbol of national identity for the UAE, I felt it necessary for us to lend support to this eco conservation initiative in whatever way we could."
Zaal also added: "Continuing the late Sheikh Zayed's legacy of caring for the UAE's environment, and in keeping with the Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan's call for long-term sustainability, there could be no better place to host the auction other than Nurai and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the city is building a strong momentum in establishing itself as an international destination of distinction, in terms of world-class accommodation, entertainment, cultural and artistic merit. Hosting the prestigious gala auction of the Eco Art Parade at Nurai Island during the F1 week brings together all these elements. We are delighted that we are able to directly contribute to this event's cause, as well as offer all celebrity invitees an intimate and exclusive setting that perfectly suits their caliber and that of the other high-net-worth bidders expected to be present on the night."
