CECILY BROWN, GEORGE CONDO AND URS FISCHER DONATE WORKS TO BE SOLD TO BENEFIT THE amfAR FUND TO FIGHT COVID-19

PRESS RELEASE | NEW YORK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8 JULY 2020

CECILY BROWN, GEORGE CONDO AND URS FISCHER DONATE WORKS TO BE SOLD TO BENEFIT THE amfAR FUND TO FIGHT COVID-19

Group to be included in July 10 Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York  

NEW YORK – Christie’s is proud to launch the full offering of From the Studio, a dedicated selection of 17 works, which have been generously donated by leading contemporary artists to benefit amfAR’s newly launched Fund to Fight COVID-19. This special grouping will be included in the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day sale, which is taking place on July 10 in New York. From the Studio may be viewed here.

Highlights from the sale include works that have been created in quarantine by artists including Eddie Martinez, Dana Schutz, Raymond Pettibon, Rashid Johnson, Kenny Scharf, Leelee Kimmel, Michael Kagen, and Erik Parker as well as previously announced works by Cecily Brown, Urs Fischer and George Condo.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman of Artémis, remarked: It means a lot to me that Christie’s is joining forces with amfAR to raise vital funds for COVID-19 research. Christie’s has a long history of contributing to great causes through charitable auctions, while amfAR’s success in mobilizing celebrities and the fashion world in the fight against AIDS in recent decades speaks for itself. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the artists who have produced works for the occasion and to the leading collectors who have generously donated works of art. Salma and I are proud to support this exceptional event and we hope that it will help combat the new and urgent global threat from Covid-19.

In addition to the works of art, the Pinault family has generously donated a private dinner for 10 people at the famed Bourse de Commerce in Paris in early January 2021. The evening will include a guided tour with one of the directors of the museum before it opens to the public.

The Bourse de Commerce is a historic 18th century building located close to the Louvre that has recently been transformed by the famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando into a private exhibition space. It will feature exhibitions of visual arts from paintings to photography and video with a selection of works coming from the Pinault collection. The museum will also boast a restaurant by Michel and Sebastien Bras on the top floor.

The dinner will be offered via @Christiesinc Instagram account from Friday, July 10th, to Monday, July 13th and interested parties may submit their bid by emailing amfAR@christies.com.

“We are deeply grateful to Christie’s, to the generous artists and to Salma and François-Henri Pinault for making this extraordinary auction possible,” said Kevin Robert Frost, amfAR’s chief executive officer. “Proceeds from the auction will give a much-needed boost to efforts to develop effective treatments for COVID-19, which continues to pose a grave threat to communities across the United States and around the world.”

With the detection of the first cases of the new coronavirus in the U.S. in January came the stark realization that no country was immune to this new pandemic. HIV researchers, many of them amfAR grantees, swung into action. Their expertise and experience thrust them almost instantly onto the front lines of research to combat this deadly new virus: virology, immunology, epidemiology, vaccine development, public health. With 35 years of experience and expertise in precisely this kind of research, amfAR joined the fray with the launch of a new Fund to Fight COVID-19.

Over the course of 35 years, amfAR has earned a reputation as an uncommonly nimble grant-maker that can rapidly respond to emerging research findings and questions. amfAR will apply this same speed and flexibility in identifying and filling gaps in COVID-19 research, helping to accelerate the search for effective treatments and a vaccine. From the Studio will raise critical funds to support this research.

Please view more information on the Christie’s X amfAR partnership here.

Philanthropic Auctions at Christie’s

Christie’s is known throughout the industry as the auction house of choice for charitable sale partnerships, and has enjoyed a long relationship with amfAR through numerous fundraising efforts, including “Unforgettable: Fashion of the Oscars,” a benefit auction presented in partnership with Vogue Magazine and amfAR, which raised nearly $800,000 for the sale of 54 iconic Academy Award Ceremony gowns. In recent years, Christie’s has successfully hosted numerous auctions that benefit charitable causes, including Global Wildlife Conservation, The 11th Hour Auction, Artists for Haiti, RADart4Aid,, the Green Auction series, and many more. In May 2018, Christie’s partnered with the Rockefeller family to sell the landmark collection of the late Peggy and David Rockefeller on behalf of 12 designated charities and raised a record $835 million through a dedicated series of live and online auctions.

About amfAR

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and advocacy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $575 million in its programs and has awarded more than 3,300 grants to research teams worldwide.

About Christie’s

Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, had auction sales in 2019 that totalled £4.5 billion / $5.8 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and international expertise. Christie’s offers around 350 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery.

Alongside regular sales online, Christie’s has a global presence in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

*Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees. ###

Images available on request