And the RED auction finally happened in New York hosted by U2 singer Bono. A Damien Hirst pill cabinet packed with tinted antiretroviral drugs fetched $6.2 million non-inclusive of fees. The AIDS charity auction was backed by the beat of the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” Out of the total sales generation of $38.7 million, Hirst’s cabinet called “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way,'” raised almost one-sixth of the proceeds. The proceeds would be donated towards the HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa, thereby edging the estimated amount of $29 million.
The proud buyer of cabinet is London-based White Cube Gallery. The auspicious day was St. Valentine’s Day in the U.S., and Queen Noor of Jordan was the walking beauty on the red carpet greeted by Bono. Amongst other dignitaries was actor Dennis Hopper, tennis star John McEnroe, real-estate developer Aby Rosen. In total, the seven works by Hirst at this charity auction brought in $17.4 million minus fees. The charity auction witnessed the presence of artworks by 75 artists counting Jeff Koons, the world’s priciest living artist, Hirst, the second-most expensive, and Richard Prince.
Via Bloomberg
