黑料不打烊

Christie鈥檚 is proud to join with Takashi Murakami and Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. to provide support for the victims of the March 11, 2011 Tohoku-Pacific earthquake in Japan by dedicating a special section of a forthcoming New York auction to the continuing relief effort. The special auction section is expected to reach $5 million. Proceeds from the sale, including works made by some of the biggest names in contemporary art selected personally by Murakami, will be contributed to The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, GlobalGiving and International Medical Corps, providing relief to the survivors of the catastrophe, the effects of which continue to be devastating.

Takashi Murakami comments: The damage which resulted from the recent earthquake was great and yet, there are other disasters occurring somewhere in the world every day. If we do not address the root causes of the chaos which arises from these disasters, both natural and man-made, then our problems will continue reoccurring and their severity will only grow worse, eating further away at the heart and mind. It is with the goal of engaging people in a shared understanding of this catastrophic state of affairs that I hold this event; if an art auction can serve as the impetus for such understanding, then I am hopeful that we can make our present hardship worthwhile. I want to thank Mr. Francois Pinault, who supported the idea from the beginning, and Christie鈥檚 for making this event happen.

Christie's is also proud to announce a special appearance by Oscar-nominated actor Ken Watanabe on the day of the auction. Mr. Watanabe will open the sale with a reading of a Japanese poem, selected especially for the occasion. Mr. Watanabe's appearance comes with the cooperation of the Japanese website and initiative Kizuna311, which was launched after the disasters to offer moral and emotional support to those affected.