Some things are stranger than fiction. Sir Richard Branson, considered to be one of the greatest self-made billionaires in the UK, likes to innovate. An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, he has developed a massively diverse multinational conglomerate that deals in everything from travel to lifestyle to entertainment and telecommunications.
As a barometer of the ambitions of the Virgin Group, we can look to the Galactic project, which has, since 2004, been striving to make sub-orbital space flights feasible for the general public one day.
Anything and everything is possible for this ambitious company.
In the meantime then, while we all wait expectantly for space travel to become a legitimate reality, Sir Richard has continued to innovate with existing forms of travel. The most recent development, which is as original an idea as they come, is to take the art gallery out of its fixed grounding and make it mobile thousands of feet in the air.
Virgin Atlantic has just launched what is the world’s first commercial art gallery for upper class passengers flying between London and New York. It’s in its very early stages, but travellers can view and purchase works of art by the celebrated street British artist Ben Eine.
For the whole month of February, the Gallery in the Air will offer passengers an intimate, bespoke and utterly surreal experience to acquire new, specifically commissioned works of art, priced between £2,500 and £15,000.
“We like to do things differently at Virgin Atlantic and are always finding new ways to surprise and entertain our customers, said Sir Richard.
“Our new Gallery in the Air is the first ever commercial art gallery in the sky and is a good example of this. I am a huge fan of Ben’s work and like us, he does things differently and doesn’t follow the crowd.”
Virgin Atlantic is adamant that this isn’t a one off, headline-grabbing quirk. The airline sees this as the beginning of something special, and therefore represents the first in a series of “unique onboard collaborations with renowned artists”.
“My philosophy through all my work, be it on canvas or on the street, is about pushing boundaries and not simply going with the flow because everyone else is doing something a certain way,” stated Ben Eine.
“I respect Virgin Atlantic’s brave and challenging attitude and the way it goes against the grain, so I jumped at the chance to be part of the first ever Gallery in the Air. We have created a completely original way of appreciating and buying art – a new frontier for the industry.”
Cadogan Tate can ship works of art to your chosen destination anywhere in the world.