On Friday, Project Perpetual hosted its inaugural Dinner & Auction of new works by Contemporary Artist Jeff Koons to help provide children around the world with live-saving vaccines.
Koons created ten new – and unique – works incorporating Hermès handbags donated by Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, Naomi Campbell, Sofia Coppola, Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, Reem Beljafla, Countess Daniela Memmo D’Amelio, HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover, Marie-Josée Kravis, Clara Kuo, and Almine Ruiz-Picasso.
The evening featured a successful live auction led by Simon de Pury to benefit the United Nations Foundation's Shot@Life campaign, which helps provide children around the world with access to life-saving vaccines against harmful diseases such as measles, pneumonia, polio, and rotavirus. The lively auction raised over $5.5 million in funds towards the fight against measles, a highly contagious disease that kills hundreds of children every day.
Held at the iconic Four Seasons Restaurant, guests arrived through the Park Avenue entrance of the Seagram Building to the presentation of eight unique Birkin Bag (Shelf) works by Koons. The evening included a special performance by Mary J. Blige for the guests of the intimate dinner setting in the classic Pool Room.
During dinner projection screens debuted the “Vaccinate” advocacy video short featuring voices in support of the mission of Shot@Life including artists Sterling Ruby and Rachel Feinstein; models Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer; entrepreneurs Victoria Beckham and Natalie Massenet; actors Michelle Yeoh and Vanessa Paradis; and former prime minister of Norway, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Guests included: Jeff Koons, Sofia Coppola, Naomi Campbell, Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, and many more.
Project Perpetual is a new initiative that combines art and philanthropy. For each edition, a celebrated contemporary artist will produce new to work to be auctioned to benefit children at risk. The Project was created in 2014 as a privately funded initiative by collector and philanthropist Svetlana Kuzmicheva-Uspenskaya. For more information, visit www.projectperpetual.org.
Source: United Nations Foundation
