In kicking off the Valentine's Day sale, to which over 60 top contemporary artists donated museum-quality work, Bono led the crowd in a sing-along of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love." Auctioneer Oliver Barker also milked the spirit of the holiday to egg the celebrity-packed crowd to raise their paddles, asking after bids, "What is the price of love?"
It seemed to work--pieces by 17 artists sold for the highest prices their work has ever fetched at auction, Sotheby's said.
Six of seven works contributed by the U.K. shock artist Hirst sold for more than $1 million each, with a decorated steel and glass pill cabinet titled "Where There's A Will There's A Way" going for $7.15 million, including a 10% buyer's premium.
Jeff Koons' "Balloon Rabbit Wall Relief," a silk screen on stainless steel, sold for $2,035,000. It was expected to go for $800,000 to $1 million.
In a first, Sotheby's, the Gagosian Gallery and Bono's charity, Red, didn't take a penny to organize the sale. All the proceeds will go to support HIV/AIDS relief programs in Africa run by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
No comments:
Post a Comment