At Amfar Venezia, filmmaker Julian Schnabel accepted the tribute award from the Jude Law before auctioning off the artistic experiences of directors and artists at the Venice Film Festival to premiere “In the Hand of Dante” at the Venice Film Festival.
When the offer flew from auctioneer Simon du Prey, a woman in a black dress with a very short bob suddenly raised her hand and placed a bid of 475,000 euros ($556,730). As the auction continued, she was caught up in a fierce bidding war with an art deal over a call with an anonymous suggestion – Schnabel agreed to sell the two portraits for 500,000 euros (approximately $584,275). In total, Schnabel’s efforts raised 1 million euros ($1.17 million) from Amfar Venezia, a charity dedicated to raising funds for research into HIV and AIDS.
He turned to the subject of his new portrait and reached for a handshake, asking her name.
“Halsey!”
Yes, Halsey, the Grammy nominated singer of “Closer” and “Without Me.” After all, she is a huge fan of Schnabel’s art.
“I already own seven works. He’s my favorite living artist,” Halsey told Variety, waiting for the water taxi to leave the event. “As soon as I found out it was a personalized committee, I knew I would bid for the whole time.”
And she has personal connections to the charity work that Amfar did. She was diagnosed in 2022 with autoimmune disease lupus and T-cell leukemia disorder. These conditions also benefit from research funded by Amfar.
“It was a complete circle. I had to bring this to life,” Halsey said. “That’s why I feel like I’m at the top of the world.”
For now, she remains undecided as to where she will display her new artwork. “I don’t know yet, but I hope to hang it for a long time,” she said. “I have a four-year-old son, so I’m always thinking about my legacy and I know this will be very important.”
Known for its luxurious charity auctions at the film festival, Amfar was no exception to the Sunday night event hosted by wealthy patrons of art and celebrity, as well as Colman Domingo, held at a Byzantine-style venue. Among the stars in attendance were Jesse Williams, Kevin Spacey, Paris Jackson, Sofia Carson and singer Ava Max. Late at night, Williams and Baron Sacha Cohen appeared at an after party at the palace on a small island on San Clemente.
Spacey, whose career derailed at the height of #MeToo due to allegations of sexual misconduct, is about to mount a Hollywood comeback. (He was not liable for a 2022 New York civil lawsuit and was acquitted in a criminal case in London the following year.) Spacey declined to comment on diversity about his attendance.
Among the hot button items that sparked the bidding war were Resort and Spa in Zanzibar (55,000 euros), Marilyn Monroe (80,000 euros) from Andy Warhol paintings in 1967, and Tripty by Cindy Crawford (25,000 euros).
“Every death from HIV/AIDS is a tragedy and we can stop them all with treatment,” Domingo said from the stage. “If you have something tonight, let’s make sure it’s not a calm statistic. Let’s do this. We can cure HIV, and we will!”
