closeicon
Community

Tracey Emin applauds the work of Israeli art museums at £650,000 London dinner

Star names support British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel gala, raising funds for educational projects

articlemain

An iconic Annie Leibovitz portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken hours before Lennon’s death, has raised £80,000 for the British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel.

The auction proceeds helped swell the total from Bfami’s gala dinner at Battersea Arts Centre to £650,000-plus, which will fund educational projects at Israeli art museums.

Tracey Emin, Yinka Shonibare, Maria Balshaw, Ron Arad and Kelly Hoppen were among prominent art and design world figures among the 400 guests.

Guest of honour was internationally acclaimed artist Edmund de Waal, who donated, courtesy of Gagosian, a work in porcelain, gold, silver and alabaster to the auction, which was conducted by Hugh Edmeades of Christie’s.

The artist later spoke of the “warmth and generosity of the spectacular gala. To stand up and support Bfami’s core objectives is to be clear about the centrality of art, about imagination and creativity and story-telling.”

Other lots included a David Bailey photo of Jean Shrimpton, a defining image of 1960s’ swinging London. and Ron Arad’s 3D-printed Genius, celebrating the centenary of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive