From zero to infinity. This is the number after the $ possible to be reached in bids for an auction of works of art. The proposal seems simple and fair, but there are those who bother with such space for possibilities when talking about the value of art. In recent months, Bieto saw his ideas translated into practical actions through auctions.
The main result of this is the Leilão com Causa, profile on Instagram, created by him to “try to mitigate the loss of the people around me who were left without work and income from the pandemic”. The generic people became names and became the protagonists of the first cause: raising money for three diarists who worked in houses where Bieto lived.
Photos of Bieto’s works (drawings on A3 or A4) were posted on the profile and followers had 24 hours to bid. From zero to infinity. After only 4 weeks, each of the three diarists received directly from the buyers of the works more than the Brazilian state provides per month as emergency aid.
Using the same dynamic, the second cause yielded good fruits for both the artist and the Casa Mariás, which supporting women in vulnerable situations as a result of domestic violence: a live on Instagram with experts on the subject took the arduous theme lightly to Bieto’s followers. Already the income obtained by the sale of the works in the Auction with Cause was fully reverted to the institution.
Recently, when participating in the necessary Leilão na Fonte, Bieto’s artwork “Vontade de Potência (Will to Power)” collected the record value of a work made available for auction. It started from scratch. The money this time went to the waste pickers and street dwellers of São Paulo, through the @pimpmycarroca and @projetovoltandoaescola projects and support from @umida_arte.
“New causes are to come and with them the will to put into debate topics on which I have been reflecting, as the construction of the value of art, the function of the artist and his basic needs, the care with who is in my surroundings and much more.” From zero to infinity.