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Bono's art auction raises £21m for Aids fight, making it one of the BIGGEST ever charity events
Last updated at 15:45pm on 18.02.08
Bono spearheaded the auction, which raised £21m to help the fight against Aids in Africa
Art collectors splashed out £21.6million at a Valentine's Day auction to benefit the fight against Aids in Africa, making it one of the biggest ever charity events.
Sale prices were far in excess of estimates at Sotheby's in New York, where 83 contemporary works were donated by the artists or their estates.
The event was spearheaded by rocker Bono and artist Damien Hirst, who contributed seven works.
One of them, titled Where There's a Will There's a Way, a monumental medicine chest sculpture containing hundreds of metal HIV pills, fetched £3.6million.
Other artists who donated works included Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Banksy, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Matthew Barney, Richard Prince and Antony Gormley.
Many of them were specially created for the event.
"This was a really historic night," said Bono. "I'm really very, very moved, having seen people dying for lack of the two pills a day it takes to treat Aids."
Sotheby's lowered its commission for the auction and made no profit.
