São Paulo – Rock star Mick Jagger donated a signed guitar to support humanitarian actions against COVID-19. The instrument was collected by Irma Alves, the Brazilian director at Fashion Inclusive Brazil, for a COVID-19 relief auction in support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
She said the donators were Luciana Gimenez and Lucas Jagger, who’re sponsors of the ICRC and convinced the Rolling Stones’ vocalist to donate the guitar. “Mick Jagger only donates guitars for huge catastrophe relief auctions, and this is the COVID-19 guitar,” Alves told ANBA. Lucas Jagger is Mick Jagger’s son with Brazilian TV host Luciana Gimenez.
The red and white guitar in honor of the ICRC is a Fender Stratocaster and is valued at EUR 800,000 (USD 967,000). “We’re now seeking to sell it,” said Alves. According to her, the last guitar donated by Jagger was sold for EUR 400,000 (USD 484,000) in Monaco.
“We made an online auction, but the situation here [in Portugal] is a long way off, Portugal is in crisis, and the guitar has not been sold yet. Its estimated value is EUR 800,000 but is negotiable between EUR 400,000 and 800,000,” Alves explained.
She says similar guitars have been sold to Arab collectors. “A sheikh from Qatar purchased a guitar signed by Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, and other artists in a tsunami relief auction back in 2005,” she said.
The Geneve, Switzerland-based ICRC will receive the donation and, Alves says, redistribute funds to struggling countries, such as countries in conflict and crisis that have been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to the guitar, Alves said that an art installation by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos was donated to the COVID-19 relief auction. The work Flora from 2014 is made of Viúva Lamego blue tiles, steel and plywood, hand-made wool crochet, and LED lights, and weights 65 kg. The installation is estimated between EUR 80,000-200.000 (USD 97,000-241,000) and the money will also be donated to the ICRC.
“We want to spread these works to Arabs, as they’re usually a very philanthropical people and have many art and instrument collectors,” said Alves.
Fashion Inclusive Brazil is a cultural promotion channel involving fashion, art, music, and social inclusion initiatives that aim to support those in need through partnership campaigns, offering support to organizations and other projects.
The objects are for sale at Portuguese auction house Art Bid in Lisbon. For more information, please send an email to: filipe.aires@artbid.pt, or call +351 919 290705, or visit Alves’ campaign on Linkedin.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
