Art Vespas For Addiction Charity

n auction of Vespa scooters customised by the cream of contemporary British modern artists raised over £20,000 for Action on Addiction at a high profile auction party last night, hosted by Tania Bryer.

A host of celebrities including Tamara Beckwith, Kelly Hoppen, Toby Mott and model Lindi were at the party at Sketch in London to raise money for Action on Addiction, the only independent UK research charity dedicated to seeking new ways to prevent and treat nicotine, alcohol and drug abuse.

Top seller of the night was Gavin Turk's 'Auto-Destructive Art' scooter, bought by Sven Ley, newly married to Zoe Appleyard, which fetched £4,800 after a fierce bidding war. Turk comments "My design for Art Vespa uses everyday products which often end up being run over in roads by scooters and other vehicles. The end products used in my design can almost be said to have been made by a scooter in that they are squashed packages."

Leading artists Gavin Turk, Gary Hume, Simon Periton, Georgina Starr and Harland Miller all gave their time and effort to create these masterpieces of the future. All five artists were present at Sketch to see their unique, one-off creations go under the hammer.

Hammer prices:
Gavin Turk £4,800
Gary Hume £4,200
Simon Periton £4,200
Georgina Starr £4,200
Harland Miller £3,850

All proceeds from the event were donated to Action on Addiciton.

Carsten Berg, Scooter Press