The charity auction at the AIBC & FX Awards brought guests together in support of the SiGMA Foundation’s education, healthcare and community development projects. Held on 03 November at Corsie Sistine in Rome, the auction took place in the former wards of Santo Spirito in Sassia hospital. Built under Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century, the fresco-lined halls offered a memorable backdrop for the evening.
The presentation paired that historic setting with modern technology and exquisite attention to detail. Auction items were displayed as holograms inside glass boxes, giving guests a unique way of viewing the works before bidding.
Led by Rick Goddard, the auction featured six artworks exploring identity, mythology, digital culture and personal freedom. The creations were put forward by Edo, Marco Pesa, Lusine Ginosyan, Dzanar, Roberto Paolini and Ah! Sasha.
Auction 1: Sold for €2,500 to TCI Holdings
Dzanar’s Sugar Rush captures playful energy and joy. Glossy lips, sparkling eyes and a vibrant pink palette surround a gummy bear, a symbol of sweetness, nostalgia and happiness. Metallic textures and dripping forms give the work an almost melting quality. Born in Baku and raised in the Netherlands, Dzanar Abbas-Zade has more than 19 years of experience in digital art, sculpture and visual storytelling. His career includes work with G-Eazy, Akon, Chris Brown and Ed Sheeran, alongside exhibitions at Art Miami, NXT Museum, SCOPE Art Show and Times Square.
Auction 2: Sold for €1,500 to Aurora Markets
Lusine Ginosyan’s Big Brother examines a world where being watched has become part of everyday life and control often goes unnoticed. Bright colours, playful imagery and familiar symbols create the feeling of a game whilst raising questions about power, influence and personal freedom. Ginosyan is an Armenian contemporary Pop Art artist whose work explores society, digital culture and technology’s effect on how people perceive themselves. She has exhibited internationally since 2007, with work shown in Armenia, Europe and the Middle East and held in private collections worldwide.
Auction 3: Sold for €3000 to Hashlock
Marco Pesa’s Jolly Joker depicts a jester whose dance compels a man to enter a building, with a staircase visible inside. Unstable coloured tiles, contrasting light and the presence of a possible accomplice suggest deception and manipulation. Pesa also leaves open the possibility that the jester is himself being deceived by the other figures. Born in Sulmona in 1993 and raised in Tocco da Casauria, Pesa attended the Academy of Fine Arts in L’Aquila before continuing his study of oil painting independently.
Auction 4: Sold for €2,500 to Evan Luthra
Roberto Paolini’s Busto in terracotta depicts Leucothea, the White Goddess and Greek sea deity. Her gaze remains frozen in time as decoration, colour and texture transform the surrounding face without changing her identity. Paolini grew up in Cerveteri, Italy, where Etruscan artefacts in local museums sparked his interest in ceramics. At twelve, he began learning in a craftsman’s workshop. He has spent more than 25 years studying ancient Etruscan and Greek techniques, collaborating with museums and universities on experimental archaeology. His experience includes a working visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2023.
Auction 5: Sold for €1,000 to Xoala
Inspired by Kuweni, the legendary sovereign of Sri Lanka’s Yakka people, Edo’s She Refused to Vanish presents a story of love, allegiance, betrayal, loss and survival. Fields of turquoise, crimson, gold, emerald and violet fracture and reconstruct her face, portraying sovereignty rather than victimhood. Created for SiGMA’s arrival in Sri Lanka, the painting connects Sri Lankan mythology with Mediterranean artistic interpretation. Edo is a Maltese-born contemporary artist whose expressive portraits explore the human figure through colour, memory and story. His work has previously supported international SiGMA Foundation charity initiatives.
Auction 6: Sold for €1,500 to Bequant
In Spring Portrait of Instagram, Ah! Sasha selects one object from each post appearing in her feed and transfers it onto the canvas. Bodies, animals, cosmetics, food, fashion, politics and advertising accumulate without narrative or hierarchy, reflecting the fragmented nature of the digital space. The painting portrays Instagram itself through collective desires, recurring motifs and algorithmic randomness. Ah! Sasha works in performance, painting, installation and video, examining the contradictions of consumer society. Her practice considers how curated images and social media rituals shape perception, emotional life and identity.
Impact in numbers
The auction raised €12,000 for the SiGMA Foundation.
The Foundation’s work helps children access education, gives vulnerable people a safe place to turn to and brings healthcare closer to the communities that need it the most. Its projects include a kindergarten in Eldoret and a rescue centre in Malindi, Kenya, as well as a maternity ward in Chiri, Ethiopia.
