Unicef UK raises over £750,000 for Syrian children in danger at its first ever contemporary art auction

Associated media

Art world unites for Syria at Unicef UK’s SyriART

Artworks from some of the world’s most influential contemporary artists went under the hammer on Thursday 11 December at Unicef UK’s first-ever contemporary art auction, SyriART, raising vital funds to help protect Syrian children from danger.

The event, which took place at Phillips Auction House (London), raisedover £750,000 – made possible by a number of generous bids during the live auction and through an online sale on Paddle8.com The final total could increase significantly as the UK government will match all UK public donations and successful bids to SyriART pound for pound.

Simon de Pury, conducted the live auction which included lots from Hugh Scott-Douglas, Dan Rees, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, Martin Creed, Olafur Eliasson, Urs Fischer and Juergen Teller.

The highest price of the evening was realized when Antony Gormley’s SUBMIT IV sold for £300,000. Dan Rees’ Wales-Syria Solidarity in Pebble Dash went for more than double its estimate at £32,000.

Amongst the guests at were participating artists Dan Rees, Joseph Kosuth, Maggi Hambling, Gavin Turk and Toby Zeigler and  personalities from the worlds of art and entertainment including Unicef UK Ambassador Emma Bunton, actor Peter Capaldi, and TV presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Louis Walsh.

The auction was co-hosted by Unicef UK Ambassador and writer Andrew O’Hagan and musician and journalist Alex James. Singer-songwriter Florrie, provided the evening’s entertainment with a unique cover performance of George Ezra’s Budapest. 

All funds raised from the sales will help Unicef, the world’s leading children’s organization, provide children in Syria and refugee children in five neighbouring countries  – Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt – with vital aid and support, as part of the largest humanitarian operation in history. Over seven million Syrian children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The UK government will match all UK public donations and successful bids to SyriART pound for pound.

Unicef UK’s executive director, David Bull, said:
Millions of Syrian children are in danger and Unicef is working tirelessly to keep them safe. Art can be incredibly powerful in Unicef’s work with Syrian refugee children, helping them come to terms with their experiences and express themselves. And now through SyriART, artists from around the world are helping too by raising vital funds for the children of Syria. We are hugely grateful for the generosity and support of all the artists, to everyone who bought the artwork and to the UK government for matching all UK public donations and successful bids pound for pound. The money raised is vital to enable Unicef to continue our life-saving work for Syrian children in danger.

You can help keep Syria’s children safe too. To find out more about Unicef’s work to protect children in danger or to donate, please visit unicef.org.uk/Syria

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