Project Perpetual Partners with Jeff Koons & United Nations Foundation for Art Auction to Support Global Vaccines
New York, NY
September 8, 2014
View all MediaContact:
Megan Rabbitt
press@unfoundation.org
Project Perpetual, a new art philanthropy initiative, is pleased to announce the launch of a fundraising campaign and partnership with the United Nations Foundation to help provide vaccines for children in developing countries. This begins in November with an auction to debut new works by contemporary artist Jeff Koons.
Project Perpetual works with major contemporary artists to produce a series of new works to be auctioned in support of global humanitarian programs. Personal items donated by leading figures from the worlds of art, business, fashion, and film serve as inspiration for these works.
In this first edition, Jeff Koons’ materials will be taken, in part, from luxury handbags donated by renowned designers and dignitaries including Sofia Coppola, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover, Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz, Clara Kuo, Almine Ruiz-Picasso, Reem Beljafla, and Countess Daniela Memmo D’Amelio. Koons’ main work will be a singular plaster sculpture, with the auction to include additional luxury handbags, customized by Koons, and sold as individual lots.
“Art and philanthropy are intertwined because they are both about a way of life,” says Koons of Project Perpetual. “It’s about an understanding of your internal world, your own position and needs and also the external world, the world that’s vaster than your own being. It’s about bringing those two things together.” Koons adds, “This is a way of really looking at the world and saying; with my means, with my perception and my understanding of joy and pleasure, how can I receive a sense of greater fulfillment in this life through a commitment to helping others?”
Founded by collector, Svetlana Kuzmicheva-Uspenskaya, Project Perpetual fuses the energy of contemporary art and the power of global influencers to help those most in need. Through the belief that genuine creativity can motivate new ways of giving, Project Perpetual generates opportunities for imaginative advocacy among donors who have the profile to engage a global audience. Joining Project Perpetual’s advocacy campaign are Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Natalie Massenet, Vanessa Paradis, and Michelle Yeoh. From the world of contemporary art to the world of international sport, Rachel Feinstein, Daniel Arsham and the Dutch football icon, Clarence Seedorf are among those taking part.
In its first year, Project Perpetual will support the United Nations Foundation’s work to fight measles, pneumonia, polio, and rotavirus through the Shot@Life campaign. Funds will be allocated to combat measles, a highly contagious disease that still kills approximately 330 children every day. Through the Measles & Rubella Initiative and the Shot@Life campaign, the United Nations Foundation works directly with the United Nations and other partners to fund immunizations and advocate on the global importance of vaccination. According to the United Nations, 1 in 5 children lack access to vaccines.
“Project Perpetual’s support will provide children around the world with much-needed access to life-saving vaccines,” says Kathy Calvin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation. “The participation of one of today’s most prominent artists, Jeff Koons, and so many well-known influencers, gives us a significant opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children most in need.”
An auction of the works led by Simon de Pury will take place on Sunday, November 9, 2014 in New York. All proceeds will benefit the United Nations Foundation.
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
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.