The live art auction PADDLES ON! promotes digital artists and their work

The only real auction action we get exposed to regularly is top programmes like Bargain Hunt or Flog It! but recently the whole auction concept has started to be used in a way that removes our cliched expectations of a collection of people (eccentric oddballs) bidding on antiques (old stuff).

Take PADDLES ON! for instance, an exhibition aiming to bring together artists who have a digital slant to their work to establish a new wave of contemporary art. Launched last October, it was the first digital art auction to be held at a major auction house but this year is bigger and better with a live auction and a two week exhibition set to take place on 3 July 2014 at Phillips auction house in London.

What sets this apart from other projects is the fact that the artists and galleries participating receive 100% of the sales creating a wonderful “circle of life” feeling as it ensures the artists can continue to make new work and add to the digital pool of creativity in the arty marketplace.

Curated by Lindsay Howard, the works featured in PADDLES ON! vary massively ranging from video and installation, to prints and sculpture and it’s fascinating to see the various approaches. As part of the project there’s also a great Tumblr site that adds some context to the artists’ work by explaining some of the processes and techniques they’ve used in their work.

So if you fancy checking out the works on show before the exhibition, or perhaps you’re feeling flush and would like to make an investment in the digital art world, online bidding is open now via Paddle8 until 2 July where a catalogue of the works can also be seen.