Annie Leibovitz Incites a Bidding War at Sotheby’s Inaugural Impact Gala Supporting Reforestation

Last night, highly poufed hair and jewel-adorned earlobes filled the Sotheby’s headquarters on the Upper East Side. So too did sharp tuxedos, which stood in contrast to the stark walls of the auction house, where Sotheby’s inaugural Impact Gala was set. Camera flashes erupted, Champagne glasses clinked, and enthusiasm for the night to come thunderously echoed. The evening’s co-chair, Annie Leibovitz, arrived in an Armani suit, ready for the evening ahead.

“He’s an exceptional photojournalist,” Leibovitz tells Vogue of the evening’s guest of honor, Sebastião Salgado. “I first came across his work documenting scenes in Rwanda back in 1987 and was completely struck by them. What he photographed were tough subjects, but he never looked away. This is a man who is biblical to me.” 

Like all good galas, the pomp and circumstance are not futile. Sotheby’s inaugural Impact Gala was thrown in support of Instituto Terra to aid the fight against Brazilian climate change and reforestation. On the second floor of Sotheby’s lies a selling exhibition of photographer Sebastião Salgado’s work that guests of the evening were lucky enough to view before dinner. From observation, it was clear that Leibovitz’s sentiments were deeply shared with others. A sense of awe shone in the eyes of onlookers as they observed photographs of divine elephants and jaguars. Salgado’s work is also discomforting—his images of harrowing labor conditions were also exhibited. Sotheby’s even introduced the artist’s first-ever NFTs, on view for the evening and on sale starting October 12. 

“I first met Sebastião in Paris at his first Amazonian photography exhibition,” Charles Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s, tells Vogue. “We started talking about what he’s doing, his foundation, and the ideas kept growing and growing and growing. We love him as artists, our collectors love their work, and they have an incredible organization.” And Salgado’s dedication to fighting climate change just so happened to align with conversations that were happening internally at Sotheby’s. “We had been thinking a lot of our social impact program and how we can contribute. This all came together rather organically, as we wanted to support a cause that was meaningful t us: protecting the environment and protecting the planet.” 

At dinner, conversations about Salgado’s work and other art-related topics were had over delicate slices of beef, followed by sweet chocolate mousse and Brazilian delicacies. But, the true excitement was during the auction. 

In total, guests were able to bid on five lots. But there were two lots coveted most: a private visit to David Hockney’s studio in Provence and a commissioned portrait by Annie Leibovitz herself. When the time came, price tags for Leibovitz’s lot rocket fired. Back and forth, from the front and the back, attendees waged a philanthropic war against one another. Then, the photographer offered to match the same price for anyone else who wanted the portrait. In total, two portrait settings were sold for $150,000 and a third for $100,00, raising $400,000 towards the cause. 

Easing the competitive edge from guests, Brazilian pop-sensation Anitta took the stage and performed three of her hit songs clad in a green Roberto Cavalli dress. As her melodic voice and upbeat tunes began to waft around the room, attendees got up from their chairs and moved next to the stage to dance the night away, joyful that all the proceeds made in the evening would go directly to Instituto Terra.