#Helmets4Headway
Strike: The Helmet Project is a unique charity exhibition of bike helmets that have been transformed into decorative works of art.
The project was created by a trio of friends, Alex Binnie, Alice Snape and Mark Holloway, after Alex wife, Zoe, had a near-fatal accident where she sustained a serious brain injury when cycling in Brighton in June 2015. The exact cause of the accident is unknown but after being found alone, convulsing in the street Zoe was in hospital for 15 days, including time in intensive care. Although she is now recovered, it was a long and frightening experience involving almost a year of debilitating anti-convulsive drugs. Had Zoe been wearing a helmet at the time, she may have sustained no brain injury at all.
Zoe and Alex continue to cycle, but now always wear helmets!
Alex explains the message at the heart of the project:
“This exhibition is to raise awareness about brain injury and the importance of bike helmets and provide essential financial support to the charity Headway. And we also want to have a bit of fun by turning a rather functional piece of kit into a piece of art, why can’t bike helmets be the new skateboard?”
From famous artists such as Grayson Perry and notable fashion designers to jewellers, milliners and illustrators, 27 artists were sent a Lazer Sport helmet as a canvas to put their own artistic touch on. There was no brief. They simply had to create a work of art and the results are beautiful.
The artwork was on display from Friday 1 September at Look Mum No Hands, a cycle cafe in London, with a closing party on Thursday 7 September where the live online auction close. Although many of these fabulous designs are no longer fit for use as helmets, the ultimate aim of the exhibition is to make the wearing of a bike helmet “hip” rather than purely functional – and to ensure everybody knows their life-saving potential, as well as raising money to improve life after brain injury.
The event was a huge success, thanks to Majestic Wine guests were greeted with a glass of bubbly to really get the bidding going! There was a big a crowd of art-lovers and cycling enthusiasts vying to see and bid on these masterpieces, including special guest, Boy George, who was the winning bidder for the Grayson Perry piece!
You can see more about the project on their Twitter @helmets4headway or Instagram @thehelmetproject.
List of exhibiting artists:
Grayson Perry, Jake & Dinos Chapman, The 27 Life, Jim Sanders, Mister Wim, Dan Hillier, Jack Boston Oswald, Hattie Stewart, Lynnie Zulu, Andrew Logan, Ella Masters, Jennifer Binnie, Nicola Bowery, Shrimps, Torture Garden Latex, Terri Cohen, Tessa Metcalfe, Stephen Jones, Natacha Marro, Gina McQuen, Alex Binnie, Frank Carter, Jondix, Claudia de Sabe, Valerie Vargas X Stewart Robson and Emily Malice.
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