LONDON.- Macmillan Cancer Support and De’Longhi launched a groundbreaking new fundraising format this September, developed in collaboration with the independent curator Kathleen Soriano formerly Director of Compton Verney and most recently Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts.

SHARED revolutionises the basic principle of art collecting by inviting artists to create works that will be broken down into components and sold in parts. This fundraising exhibition provides collectors with the rare opportunity to buy and own an element of a single major artwork.

The idea has been devised in support of Macmillan’s Not Alone campaign which is working to support the 2.5 million people in the UK living with cancer to ensure no one faces cancer alone. SHARED will encourage visitors to consider a unique form of ownership for the arts, where some works might break down into ten or more elements, others only two or three.

The works, which are available to buy include, amongst others: a site specific installation by Richard Wentworth on the SHARED theme; a set of prints by Humphrey Ocean from his recent series, that will be sold off individually for this initiative only; a series of photographs by Bouke de Vries, known for his work with fragments of fragile objects, that visitors will be able to purchase separately, as a single part of the entire installation around a carefully reconstructed smashed vase; one of Liz Rideal’s trademark photo-booths, where visitors can interact with and become part of a collective artwork – a photo montage - an element of which they will ultimately own.

Curator Kathleen Soriano says: “This exhibition is timely in its unusual approach to co-ownership in a world where contemporary art regularly breaks new price records at auction, seeming to be only for the few. SHARED has been developed with a view to challenging artists to think outside of their normal practice and to be inventive in considering how their own work might support such a concept, whilst at the same time chiming with Macmillan's attitude to care and support.”

Macmillan De’Longhi Arts Programme Committee Chair Dea Vanagan says: “Working towards our 10th anniversary of the programme, we wanted to evolve from the traditional formula, of asking artists to donate work for charity auction, towards a fundraising approach that is fresh and ambitious. This new concept embraces Macmillan’s core ethos of community and support, by allowing buyers to effectively become collective caretakers of a work. We are overwhelmed with the generosity of the artists and are delighted to have Kathleen Soriano helping us radically change the way we raise vital funds for people affected by cancer.”

Richard Wilson says: “The miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes played out through a contemporary art charity exhibition. Great idea to take one work and distribute it to some, with all the possibility of a future reuniting as a special occasion. It's exciting to be involved with unusual ideas when it comes to charity fundraising initiatives with a twist.”

Neal Jones, De’Longhi UK and Ireland Country Manager added, “We are delighted to again be hosting the Macmillan De’Longhi Art Programme in 2015, which was created nine years ago. It has evolved year on year to bring together some of the UK’s top artists and the concept for this year is an exciting development and unique proposition. The Macmillan De’Longhi Arts Programme is now well on the way to raising its target amount of £1 million and continues to help support those whose lives are affected by cancer.”