Leonardo DiCaprio is well known not just as famous actor but also as a man who supports the preservation of environment. He has been associated with the ’11th Hour’ cause made its own documentary to educate people about the hazards of environmental degradation. This time the 38-year-old, in partnership with Christie’s, will host “The 11th Hour Charity Auction,” to raise around $15 million for his own environmental initiatives through the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
The sale will include his 33 most cherished artworks with hope that event will raise $25 million for the cause. Some of the most interesting pieces include Mark Grotjahn’s rainbow-hued abstract from 2012, “Untitled (Standard Lotus No. 11, Bird of Paradise, Tiger Mouth Face 44.01).” It’s priced to sell for at least $1.5 million. Andreas Gursky’s 2010 satellite image of Earth, “Ocean V,” comes directly from the actor’s private collection. Its estimate: at least $500,000.
“My Foundation has worked on environmental issues since 1998, and despite the great efforts by organizations all over the world, our planet is in trouble,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “The modern world is placing enormous pressure on the very natural systems that sustain us; we are destroying our forests, polluting the air and water, overfishing our oceans and facing overwhelming extinction rates of plants and animals. Consequently less than 2 percent of our oceans and 12 percent of our forests and wildlands are protected. Nature is abundant and it is resilient, but we have to take action now to protect our planet before it’s too late. Given that less than 2 percent of philanthropic giving goes to environmental conservation projects, we are grateful that Christie’s and the participating artists are providing this incredible opportunity.”
Kai Althoff, Banksy, Peter Beard, Carol Bove, Joe Bradley, Cecily Brown, Dan Colen, George Condo, John Currin are some of the notable names who have donated pieces, some specially for this event.
