BACK TO PRESSRe:wild hosted ‘Art of Nature’ event at Art Basel with Chair and CEO Wes Sechrest, Founding Board Member Leonardo DiCaprio, Ernesto Bertarelli, and FIAT CEO Oliver Francois
Raised $9 million total to support local partners and communities to protect and restore biodiversity; additional notable guests included Indigenous leader Nina Gualinga, Sean Penn, Edward Enninful
For immediate release, December 08, 2023
MIAMI, FL (DECEMBER 8, 2023) – Last night, Re:wild, a global environmental nonprofit that works to protect and restore the wild, hosted the ‘Art of Nature’ event during Art Basel at Superblue Miami. The event raised just over $9 million total, which will support Re:wild’s ongoing work with local partners in more than 80 countries to conserve and restore 460 million acres encompassing irreplaceable places for biodiversity. The total includes $6.8 million in donations pledged during the event, making this the biggest fundraising event Re:wild has ever done.
The night included an immersive art experience, live auction and special “Heaven After Dark” curation by Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, his wife and creative partner Etty Lau Farrell and manager Michael James, as well as a special performances by Cat Power and DJ Maceo Plex.
“We are overwhelmed by last night’s support for our critical mission and grateful to all of the people who came together to celebrate the wild,” said Wes Sechrest, Re:wild Chief Scientist and CEO. “So many incredible supporters have stepped up to help ensure that our local and Indigenous partners around the world have what they need to continue to safeguard the most biodiverse and irreplaceable ecosystems, to the benefit of all life on Earth.”
During the event, world-renowned auctioneer Simon de Pury led a live auction for guests in attendance. A highlight of the auction was three, one-of-a-kind electric cars designed by Armani, Kartell and Bvlgari that went for $600k total. Additional auction items included luxury items, excursion experiences and artwork by renowned contemporary artists, where the auction broke records for the three artists’ work. The ‘Art of Nature’ event was made possible by Fiat, Akin, Impact One, Superblue, Global Rescue, Telmont Champagne, Yalumba’s Y Series wine, ID Watch, and Bombay Sapphire.
Re:wild works with more than 500 partners around the world to address the interrelated triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and human wellbeing. Proceeds from this event will support local partners and communities to protect and restore some of the most irreplaceable places for biodiversity on our planet.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Karson Bankhead l Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis
bankhead@ssmandl.com
Lindsay Renick Mayer l Re:wild
lrenickmayer@rewild.org
Benji Prescott | Scott & Co for Simon de Pury
benji@scott-andco.com
ABOUT RE:WILD
We have a singular and powerful focus: the wild as the most effective solution to the interconnected climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing crises. Founded by a group of renowned conservation scientists together with Leonardo DiCaprio, Re:wild is a force multiplier that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed we need. Learn more at rewild.org.
ABOUT SIMON DE PURY
Auctioneer, art dealer, curator, photographer and dj, Simon de Pury is one of the leading figures in the art world. Renowned for his legendary performance on the auction podium, which have earned him the moniker “the Mick Jagger of auctions”, de Pury has auctioned and secured some of the most legendary art collections. Moreover, as an active charity auctioneer, it is estimated that de Pury has raised several billion dollars for a number of charities and cultural institutions over the course of his career. As a mentor and curator, de Pury has been instrumental in championing the careers of many contemporary artists, photographers and designers, and has been the subject of and featured in several documentaries and films, including BBC documentary ‘The Man with the Golden Gavel’ and more recently, Darren Star’s comedy-drama series, ‘Emily in Paris’. In 2021, de Pury launched de PURY Presents, a new exhibition series collaborating with international artists in their studios. In 2022, he introduced the innovative online platform de PURY, a dynamic community focused on discovery and art collecting. Simon de Pury is the former chairman and chief auctioneer of Phillips de Pury & Company, former Europe chairman and chief auctioneer of Sotheby’s, and former curator of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection.
