Drawing attention: Masterpieces and bargains up for auction at just €250

YOU can’t put a price on fine art, and now it seems you can’t put a name on it either.

Culture vultures are set to flock to an auction with a difference over the coming weeks in the hope of uncovering a €250 bargain that, in reality, is worth thousands.

As part of fundraising efforts for the Cill Rialaig artist retreat in Kerry, hundreds of paintings, sculptures and other works from well-known names and amateurs will be up for sale in Cork city.

However, for those hoping to grab a bargain, there is a catch: no names will be on the works, meaning purchasers will have to judge the art on its merit instead of on the artist.

All 200 pieces on show during the Art250 event, which begins at 5pm on Friday by invitation at the Cornmarket centre, will have a €250 price tag attached to them and will only have their maker’s identity revealed after purchase.

Works from former Kerry footballer Mick O’Connell, The Clinic star Aisling O’Sullivan and RTÉ presenter Dáithí Ó Sé (pictured) will be on display alongside artists such as Corkmen Mick Mulcahy and Mick O’Shea and Edwina Sandys.

Ms Sandys is the granddaughter of World War II British prime minister Winston Churchill, and regularly sees her artworks go for thousands.

Organiser Noelle Campbell-Sharpe told the Irish Examiner that in order to prevent art-dealers making off with the bargains on offer, anyone attending the three-week-long event will be limited to buying four pieces of art.

She added that while some may hope to make money from the deals available as part of the nameless art auction, organisers are hopeful that even works without a high-profile artist will be warmly received.

She said: “We had a quarter of a million applicants seeking to be part of this, so the standard will be quite high regardless of the names.

“When we did this before some of the pieces were worth tens of thousands of euro.”

The event follows a similar auction at the former Habitat building in Dublin in June 2009 which raised funds for the same centre.

The Cork event will open with an invitation-only event starting at 5pm on Friday, followed by public auctions every day, except Sundays, between noon and 9pm over the subsequent three weeks.

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