Tracey Emin and other leading artists create artworks for Make-A-Wish children's charity event
The art world loves a fundraiser. This summer’s standout example was led by the Leonard DiCaprio Foundation, which supports a number of climate change and environmental projects. In a dazzling gala held in St Tropez in July, its coffers were stoked with a further $30million as Madonna and Lenny Kravitz entertained the guests, while donated work by artists including British painter Cecily Brown and American transgressivist Paul McCarthy went under the hammer.
The pre-Frieze event for the Make-A-Wish charity, which happens in London on Sunday, promises to be a rather more dainty affair. The artworks, which will be sold through a silent online auction until 11am EDT on 1 October, have been created specially by the artists for the charity, each one inspired by one child’s story. Gillian Wearing has replicated her tendency for self-portraiture with a drawing of herself as Margot Fonteyn, responding to the wishes of a little girl who’d like be a dancer for a day.
Make-a-Wish started 35 years ago when an America police officer set up a dream day for a child with leukemia who had always wanted to join the force. (He was treated to a helicopter patrol and a “swearing in” ceremony.) From this initial uplifting event, a charity was born, and 450,000 children have had wishes fulfilled since by Make-a-Wish branches worldwide.
The London event is being organised by Batia Ofer, a London-based art collector, who clearly has many friends among the city’s gallerists. She started collecting work by internationally acclaimed artists in 2007, including a Yayoi Kusama Infinity Net painting that now hangs in her New York home. Here in London she has works by a number of artists including Sigmar Polke and Thomas Struth. Her latest acquisition – a Richard Prince Joke painting – hangs in her bedroom.
For this first art auction for Make-a-Wish, she has worked with dealers including Maureen Paley and Thomas Dane to get artists involved. Tracey Emin was so taken by the story of six-year old Grace (diagnosed with a brain tumor) whose fulfilled wish was to go on a holiday with her pony, that she has donated three gouaches of a girl on horseback (estimates range from £15,000-£60,000). Polly Morgan responded to nine-year old Oakley’s obsession with the Northern Lights by making a 3D collage of green neon tubing and hedgehog skin (estimate £4,000-£6,000).
While it’s unlikely that you have bought a table for the gala evening at the Dorchester (sponsored by Cartier and compered by David Walliams), you can nonetheless see the artworks at the Serpentine Gallery this Sunday. It will be open to the public from 2-6pm.
The Art of Wishes Fundraising Gala is at The Dorchester on the evening of Monday 2nd October. The artworks can be viewed at The Serpentine on Sunday 1 October, email theartofwishes@makeawish.org. uk if you wish to visit; make-a-wish.org.uk
