Art Auction Supports London Mayor’s Reelection

By ARTINFO

Published: March 7, 2008

Mona Hatoum Banksy Antony Gormley Marc Quinn Ralph Idris Steadman Vandals Attack Banksy Work Up for Vote Celebrity-Studded Graff Charity Auction Sells Out at Christie’s Human Art Project Closes in London After 100 Days

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LONDON—An art auction last night raised £230,000 ($463,000) in support of Ken Livingstone's campaign for re-election as mayor of London, the Guardian reports.

Livingstone, who squares off with conservative challenger Boris Johnson in the May 1 election, said the auction had yielded more than any fund-raising event so far. Candidates are limited to spending £1 million on the campaign.

The sale featured 38 works by such artists as Anthony Gormley, Marc Quinn, Banksy, Mona Hatoum, and Ralph Steadman. Most of the earnings came from a single painting, a Banksy that sold to an anonymous bidder for £195,000.

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Livingstone himself bought a print of a Steadman cartoon for £140. After the sale, the mayor said: "The art world is very in touch with what happens in London. They recognize that if Boris gets in, society would collapse back into barbarism."

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