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Rocker-activist Bono and British artist Damien Hirst held a Valentine’s Day auction at Sotheby’s, raising an astounding $42.6 million that will support HIV/AIDS relief programs in Africa run by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Sotheby’s, the Gagosian Gallery and Bono’s own charity, Red, organized the sale and will pass all proceeds on to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to use as seen fit in Africa, Forbes.com reports.
Over 60 contemporary artists donated some of their artwork, including co-organizer Damien Hirst, with 17 of the artists recording brand new auction records for their art pieces, according to Sotheby’s.
Hirst himself donated seven works, six of which sold for more than $1 million each. A decorated steel and glass pill cabinet titled “Where There's A Will There's A Way” went for $7.15 million, including a 10% buyer's premium, Forbes reports.
Then again, Hirst is no stranger to record-breaking auctions of his creations. Another one of his works, “Lullaby Spring,” a stainless steel medicine cabinet containing 6,136 handcrafted and painted pills, sold for $19.5 million at Sotheby’s in London last summer.
Jeff Koons' “Balloon Rabbit Wall Relief,” a silk screen on stainless steel, sold yesterday for $2,035,000, reports Forbes, exceeding its expected limit of $800,000 to $1 million.
Both Hirst and Bono seemed pleased with the artwork that would go on auction, as Hirst explained to BBC News: “I handwrote letters to everybody. I didn't expect the result to be as good as it was, but everybody's dug deep and given us major works rather than drawings and that. It feels like a real exhibition.”
The singer added: “We may raise $25 million in one evening and that is preposterous. But it will provide life-saving drugs for a lot of folks who would be dead otherwise.”
How preposterous is $42 million, Bono?
The 47-year-old rocker must be content with the results Red is bringing. The organization creates conditions for private companies and individuals to raise awareness and money for the United Nation’s Global Fund, which in turn collaborates with organizations in Africa on HIV/AIDS, as well as malaria and tuberculosis, the BBC explains.
As to the rocking mentioned in the title, it happened literally as well, as Bono led the crowd gathered at the auction into a sing-along of the classic rock tune “All You Need Is Love,” released by the Beatles in 1967.
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