Holding on

Banksy’s not the only street artist out there trying to make a difference.

Stik hoping to raise £120k at auction to fund sculptures by local artists – Hackney Citizen
Hackney’s street art megastar Stik is to auction off a unique model of his first ever public sculpture, Holding Hands, to fund a series of outdoor artworks by local artists. The maquette, a one-off, small-scale version of the sculpture, is predicted to fetch around £120,000 when it opens for bidding at Christie’s tomorrow as part of the auction house’s ‘Post-War and Contemporary Art’ sale. All proceeds will be donated to Hackney Council to help bankroll a series of public works by East London artists.

Hackney Street artist Stik to ‘empower’ local artists by funding a series of sculptures – Hackney Gazette
Hackney Mayor Phillip Glanville thanked the artist, who has lived and worked in Hackney for 20 years, for his “record of activism” and generous donation. “We’re proud in Hackney to be able to support and share the creativity of our residents. This represents a long-standing commitment to inclusive public art that can be enjoyed by everyone in our parks and public spaces and I can’t wait to see the creativity that Stik is helping us to showcase and unlock,” the mayor said.

Check out Christie’s video about the original sculpture.

How the street artist STIK is standing up for the next generation – Christie’s
The Holding Hands sculpture is being installed at a poignant time in our history, when holding hands is not always possible. But it is a symbol of hope for what has always been, and what will be again.

That bronze maquette had an estimate of £80,000–120,000, and went for a fantastic £287,500, great news for Hackney’s artists and residents.

The story doesn’t end there, though.

Stolen posters donated to Hackney by artist Stik returned after appeal – Sky News
“Holding Hands shows two people looking in opposite directions yet holding hands in a symbol of universal love and solidarity,” Stik said. “The fact that so many prints were returned to the people of Hackney only amplifies its meaning.”

Detective Constable James Readman said it is “really encouraging” that the public has listened to the appeal and “done the right thing by returning a large proportion of the prints”.