Artists Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn are auctioning off their work from the past 15 years this Saturday to fund a community-led renewable power station in Nigel Farage's Clacton constituency. Former YBA Gavin Turk will wield the gavel, and the couple hopes to raise at least £250,000 for the project.
The Big-Ticket Item: A Blown-Up Van
The highlight of the auction is the remnants of a gold Ford Transit van that contained £1.2 million in fake banknotes. The pair blew it up in London's Docklands in 2019 as the climax of their film "Bank Job," which aimed to fight toxic debt culture with art. The van wreckage and charred banknotes were reconstituted into an Alexander Calder-like mobile that once hung in Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum. The sculpture could fetch around £100,000.
Powell hopes the exploded van will be bought by a public institution and has contacted the V&A and the Arts Council. "I've spent a week sending off many, many emails and then getting quite patronising replies," she says.
Other Auction Items
Also up for grabs are bottles of vodka from a 2009 project where Edelstyn traced his Jewish ancestry to a Ukrainian village, revived his ancestors' distillery, and sold Zorokovich 1917 vodka to Selfridges. Alongside the in-person auction, an online iteration runs until 31 May. "We have £750 at the moment," says Edelstyn. "We need about 250 times that to fund the project."
Why Build a Power Station in Clacton?
Edelstyn cites a report by climate campaigners DeSmog claiming Reform UK has received over £2.3 million from oil and gas interests since December 2019, amounting to 92% of the party's donations. "Building a community-owned renewable power station in Reform's first seat is the most direct response we can think of," he says.
The pair practice what they call "Method Art" – living ideas into existence rather than representing them. "The work is the action: abolishing real debt, building a real power station, planning a real community-owned renewable in Clacton. Artists not as commentators but as people who get the thing built."
From Existential Crisis to Action
Edelstyn's conviction that art should change the world came after a Guardian review called him a businessman rather than an artist. Writers George Orwell and Viktor Frankl helped him find answers. Orwell's essay "Why I Write" outlined various motivations for creating, while Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" emphasized the desire for a meaningful life as a primary driver.
In the midst of his crisis, he and Powell learned about an American group buying and abolishing debts. "That was the inspiration for Bank Job," says Powell. "We were going to really participate and consciously shape the world we live in." This led to the Power Station project.
Previous Success: Waltham Forest Solar Power Station
On their street in London's Waltham Forest, the couple helped fund, build, and operate a community-owned solar power station. About 20,000 high-net-worth individuals across Britain buy shares in community benefit societies that fund such projects. Shareholders provide capital for solar panels, and host buildings get panels with no upfront cost while buying energy at a cheaper rate than from the grid. Over 130 streets in Waltham Forest have signed up to follow suit, with another 50 across the UK.
Auction Proceeds and Funding Model
Proceeds from Saturday's auction will not directly fund the power station's solar installations but will bankroll the setup work in Clacton and a film about the project. If the blown-up van sells, proceeds will be core funding for their not-for-profit production company. The power station funding will come from issuing shares and other fundraising to create a community benefit society.
Challenges and Inspiration
While going off-grid appeals to those struggling with rising fuel bills, domestic solar co-ops face complications due to mixed tenureships. "Some people are renting, some are in council houses, and some have mortgages. That's hard to organise," says Edelstyn. Yet inspired by Frankl, the pair are determined to make the seemingly impossible happen. "That utopian sensibility, against all the odds, is definitely why we are the kind of artists we are."
Political Impact and Local Engagement
Their Power Station film has already influenced UK community energy policy; Ed Miliband visited them two weeks ago. Now they are taking their model to Reform UK's stronghold, hoping for local enthusiasm. They've arranged a screening of the film at Walthamstow's Forest Cinema, inviting councillors and bigwigs from Clacton. Edelstyn wonders why Farage wouldn't support the project: "He would presumably want to get the bills down of everyone on the street where the power station would be. So why wouldn't he put some of his money behind what we're doing?"
The Everything Must Go auction takes place 23 May 2026. Visit the online auction for more details.
