Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) and Wei-Ling Gallery have successfully raised RM133,200 from the charity auction of Arteon art cars held at W Kuala Lumpur hotel. Proceeds from the auction will be channeled to the Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia (BCWA), with a minimum token of appreciation presented to each artist for their contribution.
The auction marked the culmination of the collaboration between Volkswagen and the art gallery, to celebrate the launch of the all-new Arteon R-Line. Featuring the talents of 13 Malaysian artists, the collaboration provided the unique opportunity to collectors and art enthusiasts alike to own diecast scale models of the Arteon that have been transformed by the artists into unique one-of-a-kind sculptures.
Erik Winter, the Managing Director of VPCM shared his delight at the enthusiasm displayed by bidders during the auction, calling the collaboration an achievement for a good cause. "It was truly heartening to see Art and Arteon come together at the auction, and to witness how much the bidders recognised the value of owning such collectible art pieces. What more, was that their enthusiasm stemmed from their desire to contribute to charity, in this case, breast cancer awareness and support."
"The Arteon is more than just a car for Volkswagen. It also represented a way for the brand to engage with art fans around the world, as it has also been described many times as a true work of art. To have been able to work on this collaboration with Wei-Ling Gallery has been an honour for us, and we would like to express our sincerest appreciation to Wei-Ling Gallery and all 13 artists for this."
Founder and Gallery Director Lim Wei-Ling echoed Erik's thoughts on the project. "We are honoured to have partnered with Volkswagen to realise the Arteon art car project in Malaysia and are so pleased this collaboration has resulted in such a successful outcome. I am grateful to the 13 Malaysian artists who dedicated time and thought to the creation of the art cars to aid a worthy cause. The Arteon art cars are unique, collectible art pieces as evidenced by the overwhelming response to the charity auction, which managed to raise RM133,200 for BCWA."
President of BCWA Ranjit Kaur expressed her gratitude to the enthusiastic bidders, saying "the auction of 'Arteon Art Cars' brought together like-minded entrepreneurs who did not hesitate to dig into their pockets to contribute towards supporting women affected by breast cancer. We at BCWA are also immensely thankful to the organisers Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia and Wei-Ling Gallery and to all donors for their generosity."
The Arteon project was an extension of the recent "18@8 Turning Points" exhibition by Wei-Ling Gallery, curated with this idea in mind and explores the 13 artists' pasts through different philosophical, technical and aesthetic approaches, in the form of thought-provoking art pieces that reflected on this ideology.
The Arteon is Volkswagen's flagship model and has mesmerised fans around the world with its stunning avant-garde design and performance. The all-new Arteon R-Line is priced at RM225,490 and comes with 3 years free maintenance, 5 years unlimited mileage warranty and 5 years roadside assistance. With the current sales tax break, the recommended retail price of the Arteon R-Line is RM220,043.28 until the 31st of December 2020.
To view the Arteon art cars and learn more about the artists, click here.
