British artist Damien Hirst and Irish musician Bono U2 will host a Project RED auction of contemporary art donated by several artists such as Anish Kapoor, Matthew Barney, Georg Baselitz, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Douglas Gordon, Andreas Gursky, Antony Gormley and Marc Quinn.
The Red Auction is expected to raise more than $40 million to support HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs in Africa.
More than 100 “red” pieces of art will be auctioned at Sotheby’s auction house in New York on 14th February 2008 – Saint Valentine’s Day – the traditional holiday on which lovers express their love for each other or donating to charity.
Love at first sight! — The pieces will be exhibited at the Gagosian Gallery in New York from February 4. to Feb. 13. Proceeds will go to the United Nations Foundation to support Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria programs.
“For a relatively small amount of effort on each artist’s part, we can actually save many lives,” Hirst said.
Bono called the auction a “real moment in art history”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Do you love me?”
