Project Perpetual Inaugural Dinner & Auction Raises Over $5.5 Million in Funds to Benefit the United Nations Foundation in Support of Global Childhood Vaccines

Last night, 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’sShot@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, Svetlana Kuzmicheva-Uspenskaya & Alexey Kuzmichev, Maurizio Cattelan, Almine Ruiz-Picasso, Samantha Boardman & Aby Rosen, Chrissie Erpf & Larry Gagosian, JR, Mohammed Afkhami, Daniela Ruiz Antonio & Robbie Antonio, Alia Al-Senussi, Abdullah Al-Turki, Daniel Arsham, Maria & William Bell, David Benrimon, Olivier Berggruen, Klaus Biesenbach, Maria Bukhtoyarova, Nicolo Cardi, Rachel Chandler-Guinness & Tom Guinness, Alexandra Chemla, Lyor Cohen, Jessica Craig-Martin, Amalia Dayan & Adam Lindemann, Jeffrey Deitch, Todd Eberle, Casey Fremont Crowe & Brandon Crowe, Melissa George, Count Manfredi della Gherardesca, Thierry Gillier, Laurence Graff, Jacques Grange, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, Laura de Gunzburg, Kim Heirston & Richard Evans, Jane Holzer, Jonathan Horowitz, Adam Kimmel, Bernard Lagrange, Francine LeFrak, Bernard Lagrange, Xin Li, Nate Lowman, Eugenio Lopez, Josephine Meckseper, Geraldine & Leopold Meyer, Mahnaz & Joseph Moinian, Alberto Mugrabi, Libbie & David Mugrabi, Gael Neeson & Stefan Edlis, Stavros Niarchos Jr., Alexia Niedzielski, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Trevor Paglen, Jose Parla, Richard Pandiscio, Pierre Passebon, Esthella Provas, Rob Pruitt, Simon & Michaela de Pury, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Denise Rich, Scott Rothkopf, Allison Sarofim & Stuart Parr, Patrick Seguin, Sarah & Izak Senbahar, Mark Stephens, Elodie & Richard Taittinger, Eve Therond, Diana Widmaier-Picasso, among other guests.

The auction featured:

Gazing Ball (Charity) – One unique plaster sculpture that incorporates three donated Hermès Birkin bags in the arms of a woman extending to a child, inspired by Pablo Picasso’s painting La Soupe (1902-03). This work is part of Koons’ recent ‘Gazing Ball’ series.

Birkin Bag (Shelf) – Nine unique wall sculptures that incorporate donated Hermès Birkin bags as Readymade objects on mirrors. These new sculptures recall some of Koons’ earliest artworks that he made when he moved to New York as a young artist in the late 70s.

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About Project Perpetual

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.

About The United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Andrea Walsh, Nadine Johnson & Associates, 212.228.5555 or andrea@nadinejohnson.com

Eric Porterfield, United Nations Foundation, 202.352.6087 or eporterfield@unfoundation.org