Held for the first time during Art Basel week, the evening at Design Miami/Basel featured reading by Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant and live music by Duran Duran
BASEL/GENEVA, 15 June 2016—Supporters of UNAIDS attended its annual fundraising gala on 13 June. Held at Design Miami/Basel on the eve of the Art Basel art festival, the gala raised more than US$ 1 million to support the work of UNAIDS to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment services worldwide, particularly for women and children.
The evening was held in honour of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who was presented with the UNAIDS Award for Leadership in recognition of his outstanding and remarkable contributions made to the global response to HIV.
“On behalf of UNAIDS, I would like to thank the former United Nations Secretary-General for all he has done and continues to do to restore the dignity and improve the lives of people everywhere,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “We shall endeavour to continue to make history and achieve an AIDS-free generation by ensuring that no one is left behind or excluded from life-saving HIV services.”
The gala was hosted by Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York, Caroline Rupert and two of Nelson Mandela’s grandsons, Kweku and Ndaba, who welcomed more than 600 international guests from the worlds of art, design, architecture, fashion, film and music.
Red carpet arrivals of celebrities, fashion icons and renowned art and cultural influencers included Alexandra Grant, Peter Brant, Duran Duran, Vera Brezhneva, Keanu Reeves, Dustin Yellin, Thabo Sefolosha, Goga Ashkenazi and many more. The gala was sponsored by Cartier and the Hotel InterContinental Geneva, with the support of Design Miami, and was produced by Josh Wood Productions.
The evening began with an exclusive vernissage of Design Miami Basel, showcasing work from some of the world’s most important collectible designers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
After the reception and preview, Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York and Caroline Rupert welcomed guests and introduced the theme of the evening. The dinner included a reading of “Shadows” by Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant. Auctioneer Simon de Pury opened a live auction, with lots from designers that included Alaia, Cartier, Daniel Libeskind and Humberto and Fernando Campana.
The gala concluded with a special live musical performance by Duran Duran, who entertained guests with their signature sounds and famous hits. DJ Bas Ibellini took to the stage for the after-party to close the evening.
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
