New York art auction raises 42.5 million dollars for AIDS
Published February 15th, 2008
An art auction conceived by U2 frontman Bono and British artist Damien Hirst raised 42.5 million dollars in New York late on Thursday for health programs in Africa
The auction, was described as the largest charity event ever mounted and would help keep thousands of AIDS patients on antiretroviral drugs for years to come.
Artists such as Georg Baselitz, Howard Hodgkin, Jasper Johns, Anish Kapoor and Jeff Koons contributed works for the red-themed Valentine’s Day auction, which raised more than the upper pre-sale estimate of 29 million dollars.
Proceeds from the sale, organized by Bono’s charity organization (RED), were to go directly to the United Nations Foundation to support HIV/AIDS relief programs run by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
