Every country struggles with homelessness and poverty, and even more so now with the Coronavirus. There are 678,000 homeless people alone in Germany, not to mention thousands of families and refugees struggling to survive.
Kunst Hilft geben is intending to raise 1.3 billion euros and set up 1,500 social lighthouse projects to aid those who are struggling. They have partnered up with over 80 artists, including Rosemarie Trockel, Gerhard Richter & HA SCHULT, who have already help raised €1,000,000 through donations and art sales in the first year of the pandemic. To follow, the association is doing a special fundraiser with German artist Manfred Dahmen’s donated painting, “Chariot”.
Instead of a typical sale, the painting will be sold a total of 17 times, with the price doubled from the previous buyer each time. This puts the temporary owner in an active commitment of passing the painting on. With a starting price of € 20,000.00, this art piece will end up becoming “the most valuable social work of art in the world.”
“I know how important the fight against poverty and homelessness is. My uncle vegetated for years in a cemetery in Düsseldorf… That’s why I give art helps give my painting “Chariot” to finance 1,500 lighthouse projects. I hope that this worldwide appeal to action will give thousands of homeless people a decent home.”
– Manfred Dahmen
Each “purchase” can be initiated by a single donor or a group of socially-active business enterprises. The final sum of 1.3 billion euros will go to 1,536 partners, where each will receive € 850,000.00 for their lighthouse project. On top of building houses, the donations will also help fund homeschooling, urgent winter aid items, food care packages, and sleeping bags.
“All over the world, people are looking for a cure for COVID-19. We are looking for supporters: donors or buyers – for an effective cure for homelessness and poverty.”Dirk Kästel.
– Dirk Kästel, Initiator of Kunst Hilft geben
Other artists supporting this aid campaign includes Gerhard Richter, Rosemarie Trockel, HA Schult, Jeff Koons, Markus Lüpertz, Anna Blume, Harald Naegeli, Klaus Staeck, Boris Becker, Benjamin Katz, Oliver Jordan, Tim Berresheim, Sabine Moritz, Rene´ Böll, Jörg W Schirmer, Hartung and Trenz, Günther Wallraff, and Mikail Akar. This emergency money relief campaign has no end date and new artists can be added at any time.
Header photo credit: Manfred Dahmen