DOHA: Eighteen works of art donated by celebrated Arab and international artists will be auctioned by Sotheby’s London in support of ‘1 in 11’, a worldwide campaign launched earlier this year by FC Barcelona Foundation, Reach Out To Asia (Rota) and Unicef to extend educational opportunities to children in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal.
The fundraising auction, to be held on February 12, will feature works by renowned artists, including Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Luc Tuymans.
Several pieces have been specially commissioned for the sale, including two paintings by Hirst and Murakami depicting Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona player, Unicef Goodwill Ambassador and president of the Lionel Messi Foundation.
Works by celebrated artists of Arab origin are also included in the sale, including those by Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad, Lebanese-American artist and writer Etel Adnan, French-Tunisian calligraffiti artist eL Seed, Dia Azzawi (Iraq), Manal Al Dowayan (Saudi Arabia), Wael Shawky (Egypt).
Other artists whose works will be auctioned include Jenny Holzer, Shirin Neshat, Marc Newson, Yan Pei-Ming, Cai Guo Qiang and Francesco Vezzoli.
Alongside the artworks, the auction will offer the chance to bid on two unique experiences with FC Barcelona, including a Champions League trip for two persons and a long weekend in Barcelona for two persons.
Murakami, who designed the ‘1 in 11’ campaign logo, has designed and donated Flower Ball to the sale – a bespoke football signed by Lionel Messi and the artist (estimated price £500-1,000).
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