It was a spectacular evening for the Natalia Cola Foundation as they celebrated their partnership with the RA with a private viewing at the Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition. It was a moving occasion as Natalia paid homage to her home country of Ukraine, and revealed that some of her own family were sheltering in Kyiv. To a room with guests from the art-world, media and politics she wished for a swift end to the conflict. She expressed delight at being able to bring attention to Bacon’s extraordinary work.
It was a meeting of the old school and the new at the private view and dinner on March 8th. Those who knew him and those who admired him. As legendary decorator Nicky Haslam and journalist Geordie Greig spoke of their encounters with Bacon more than 40 years ago, the rest of the guests drifted between the Fine Rooms and the galleries.
The evening began with the clink of a glass as Natalia Cola toasted to the sheer determination and focus of the Royal Academy. After two years of pandemic uncertainty we were able to gather, ogle and in some cases cower at Bacon’s profoundly moving work. It’s intensely atavistic nature perfectly captures Bacon’s mindset when he said to his friend and co-curator of the show Michael Peppiatt, “We are all animals. If you care to think about it. It’s just that some people are more aware of the fact than others.” He said this after they had seen a man getting beaten by a group of thugs. With the lights dimmed, it was a privilege to experience the exhibition in such solitude. It truly was a Night at the Museum.
In collaboration with the RA, the Natalia Cola Foundation has supported and underwritten annual lecture series since 2020.
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