Japan’s Takashi Murakami portrait of the Barcelona great has been valued at approximately $450,000 and will be auctioned in London to raise money for charity Thursday.
“Lionel Messi and a Universe of Flowers” depicts the Argentine surrounded by a psychedelic bouquet and forms a central part of an auction hosted by one of the world’s largest brokers of fine art Sotheby’s.
All proceeds will go to 1in11 — a charity launched by the Lionel Messi & FC Barcelona Foundation, UNICEF, and Reach Out To Asia that funds access to education and sports for children across the world.
British art enfant terrible Damien Hirst — famous for pickling dead animals in formaldehyde — also has a piece up for sale, capturing the beauty of Messi in a spin painting estimated to sell at around $500,000.
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As the 1in11 auction shows, art really does have a place in football — whether you’re a professional, an artist or a spectator.
“That’s what’s interesting about football and art — it includes everybody… it’s something that transcends language, politics and borders,” said Al Dowayan.
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