In one week, the art world has brought philanthropy, charity and art into the limelight.
In London, Banksy’s Game Changer was sold for £16,758,000 at Christie’s on 23 March 2021, in the 20th Century Art Evening Sale. Proceeds from the sale will be used to support health organisations and charities across the UK that enhance the care and treatment provided by the NHS. Christie’s will donate a significant portion of the Buyer’s Premium to these causes.
Katharine Arnold, Co-Head, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Europe, Christie’s: “It has been a great privilege to work on the sale of Game Changer. On a day of national reflection, marking one year since the first lockdown in Britain and with so many lives lost around the world, it feels very meaningful to have raised £16,758,000. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be used to support health organisations and charities across the UK that enhance the care and treatment provided by the NHS. Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment. With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll; a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time. As we have turned our focus towards our families and those we love we express our gratitude to the people who continue to fight on the frontline against COVID 19.”
The world’s largest painting, created by British artist Sacha Jafri, was sold for £45m to raise funds for children’s charities. Jafri said the full $62m (£45m) would go to Dubai Cares, Unicef, Unesco and the Global Gift Foundation to help disadvantaged children in countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa.
Jafri spent eight months painting the 1,600 sq m (17,000 sq ft) artwork in a deserted hotel’s ballroom in Dubai. He had planned to sell it in 70 parts, but French cryptocurrency businessman Andre Abdoune bought the whole work. The price makes it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold at auction by a living artist.
The Journey of Humanity is split into 70 framed sections spanning 1,595.76 sq metres (17,176 sq feet), equivalent to nearly four basketball courts. In September, the Guinness World Records recognised it as the largest ever art canvas.
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Photo: Banksy, Game Changer. © Christie’s Images Limited 2021