(Auction) RED

New York City, home to the gala, the charity benefit, and the high-profile celebrity event, can add another soiree to the list. This time the focus was on the (Auction) RED exhibition, which went down last week at the Gagosian Gallery, located in West Chelsea. The cocktail party was hosted by Larry Gagosian, renowned Armenian-American art dealer, legendary Vogue editrix Anna Wintour, and Lisa Dennison from Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest international auction house.

A-listers showed up by the bulk load to show their support, including Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Stipe, and Charlie Rose, just to name a few. The art consisted of material from Jeff Koons as well as Takashi Murakami and Richard Prince (both famous for their chic graphic designs drawn for Louis Vuitton bags), all pulled together by the event coordinator, fellow artist Damien Hirst. All proceeds went to Global Fund, helping to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Curious as to how the inspirational event came to be? A friendly vacation between Hirst and Bono sparked the idea for the event. “I went down to the South of France to hang out with Bono and we’d had a lot to drink, and I guess it was about five in the morning when Bono suggested I go ahead and make this thing happen,” Hirst explains. “Suggest” may be the wrong verb. Hirst vaguely remembers being threatened with a punch to the face if he shirked his philanthropic duties. Never the less, the charity event was a success and shadowed the estimated $21/29 million in charitable donations.

Via Style.com