Lead pic: Mark Francis from Made In Chelsea at The Auction. Photo by Piers Allardyce.
The worlds of art, fashion, design and showbiz came together at Terrence Higgins Trust‘s flagship event earlier month, and helped raise over £200,000 that will go to supporting people living with and affected by HIV across the UK.
Over 50 artworks and experiences went under the hammer at world-famous auction house Christie’s to support people living with HIV to live fulfilling lives, free from stigma and discrimination.
The Auction is a night that changes the lives of people affected by HIV and poor sexual health. Since it started, it has raised over £5 million for the charity. This year’s event was extra special as the charity marks its 40th anniversary.
Some of the most anticipated lots of the night included one of Tracey Emin’s proofs of the neon More Of You from her personal archive, and pieces from Antony Gormley and Mariano Vivanco.
Terrence Higgins Trust also auctioned unforgettable experiences including a photographic shoot with world-famous photographer Rankin and a trip to the Maldives. Other big-selling items included a colourful piece by Flora Yukhnovich, an internationally renowned London-based artist, as well as a weekend in Margate at the new Margate House Hotel. This included a tour of the Carl Freedman Gallery with co-host of the Talk Art podcast Robert Diament, and the opportunity to meet fabulous artists.
Bidders also had the opportunity to literally get their hands on a piece of 1980s TV history with a memento from comedy legend Kenny Everett: enormously oversized foam rubber hands familiar from his mock-evangelical character Brother Lee Love on the BBC’s The Kenny Everett Television Show.
Celebrities such as This Morning’s resident doctor Ranj Singh, Made In Chelsea’s Mark Francis, The Traitors’ Dr Amos and Kieran, Sarah Mulindwa and The Apprentice’s Ryan-Mark Parsons all threw their support behind the event.
The Auction was opened by the charity’s new Chief Executive Richard Angell, who spoke about why these events and the generosity of supporters are so crucial in the UK’s HIV response.
