With a sale total of $13,662,000, Christie's, Ben Stiller and art dealer David Zwirner are reportedly delighted with the outstanding results of the Artists for Haiti charity sale.
The auction included 27 works by 26 of today's most prominent artists, many of which were created specifically for this cause.
Four world auction records were obtained and two works of art were sold for over one million dollars, Marlene Dumas at $2,000,000 and Luc Tuymans at $1,150,000, with many lots realising well over their pre-sale estimates.
 Ben Stiller was delighted with the |
Stiller himself presented the event, and stepped forward to pay $400,000 for a Jeff Koons and $200,000 for a Martin Kippenberger lamp sculpture.
Elsewhere, Wanderlust and former Friends star Jennifer Aniston was present with screenwriter boyfriend Justin Theroux as he bid a record $450,000 for a Glenn Ligon - well above its $150-200,000 estimate.
Also present at the event was tennis star John McEnroe, who lost out in the bidding battle to own Zhang Huan's ash-on-canvas titled "Chinese Flag No. 1" but did win Elizabeth Petyon's coloured pencil and pastel portrait of Jay-Z for $85,000.
100% of the proceeds of the sale are going to support nonprofit groups already performing extraordinary work on the ground in Haiti, with a focus on children's education and health care.
"We are so grateful to all of the artists who dedicated their time and talent to help raise an extraordinary amount of money that will be utilised as efficiently and quickly as possible to help the people of Haiti.
"Christie's and David Zwirner Gallery worked very hard to make this a success and I am thankful to have them as partners in this effort" declared Ben Stiller.
"What an amazing evening! We are overwhelmed by the support we were able to get for tonight's auction. We exceeded the high estimate of $10 million, which is no small feat in today's uncertain times.
"Thanks to everyone who bid tonight, we can now go to work on the much needed humanitarian efforts to help the children in Haiti. We especially want to extend our appreciation to François Pinault and everyone at Christie's" said David Zwirner.
