(RED) Room Showcasing Annie Leibovitz Photography Opens for World AIDS Day at the National Portrait Gallery
26 November 2008
At the National Portrait Gallery 27th November – 4th December 2008
(RED) Night with late opening - 27th November 2008 until 10.30pm
(RED)™, the brand created to harness business and consumer power to help eliminate AIDS in Africa, is bringing a display of Annie Leibovitz's photography to the National Portrait Gallery from 27th November – 4th December to mark World AIDS Day (1st December 2008).
The display will feature portraits shot by Annie Leibovitz for (RED)'s partnership with Gap, as well as portraits taken for Vanity Fair's historic Africa edition covers in July 2007. The Vanity Fair photography captures highlights from this unique edition which saw an unprecedented set of 20 covers photographed by Annie and featuring some of the world's most prominent people, with one thing in common - Africa. The portraits include Madonna, Barack Obama, Alicia Keys and George Clooney.
The Gap photography is lifted from campaigns of celebrities shot by Annie to mark the launches of the Gap (RED) partnership in 2006 and the one year anniversary in 2007. The images present a theme of 'Individuals.' Famous faces, including Christy Turlington, Penelope Cruz and Chris Rock, are pictured wearing their favourite Gap (PRODUCT)REDTM item in a way that expresses their own personal style.
The display will be celebrated at the Gallery with a public, (RED) late night opening on Thursday 27th November. On the night, the National Portrait Gallery will contribute £2 from every late night ticket sale to the much anticipated retrospective exhibition; Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 to the Global Fund.
Since (RED) was launched in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver, $115 million has been generated by (RED) partners and events for the Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) money. 100% of this money is used on the ground in Africa to fund AIDS treatment and education programmes in Ghana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Rwanda. Key components of activity include provision of antiretroviral treatment for HIV positive individuals, feeding and educating children orphaned by AIDS and providing the low-cost treatments needed to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV from mother to child. There are currently more than 80,000 people on antiretroviral medication with support from funds generated by (RED) activity.
One of the most celebrated photographers of our time, Annie Leibovitz has been making witty, powerful images documenting American popular culture since the early 1970s. Her work also includes creating iconic (RED) moments to inspire and create desire for (RED) products created by some of the world's leading brands.
For further press information, please contact: Anna Grant, freud communications.
Tel: 020 3003 6557,
E mail: anna.grant@freud.com
To view some of Vanity Fair's Africa Issue covers, please visit: www.vanityfair.com
- Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005 is organised by the Brooklyn Museum, sponsored by American Express; London Sponsors, Bridgepoint and GAP
- Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life is open to the public, 16th October 2008 – 1st February 2009. Tickets are on sale at £11 and concession price is £10/£9, see website for more details and booking information www.npg.org.uk
- A fully illustrated hardback book that accompanies the exhibition, published by Random House, will be available from the Gallery (rrp £60)
- National Portrait Gallery opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm (Gallery closure commences at 5.50pm). Late Opening: Thursday, Friday: 10am – 10pm Nearest Underground: Leicester Square/Charing Cross
- (RED) week dates 27th Nov – 4th December
- (RED) night 27th November, 7pm – 10.30pm
- Recorded information: 020 7312 2463. General information: 020 7306 0055
- Website: www.npg.org.uk
ABOUT (RED) AND (PRODUCT) RED
(RED)'s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help fight AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)RED mark contribute up to 50% profits from sales of that product to the Global Fund, to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (UK only), Apple, Converse, Emporio Armani, Gap, Dell and Microsoft. Hallmark and Starbucks are partners in N America.
For more information about (RED), visit www.joinred.com
ABOUT THE GLOBAL FUND
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programmes to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US$11.3 billion for programs in 136 countries. The Global Fund supports programmes based on agreed performance targets and disburses money in response to proven results. So far, programmes supported by the Global Fund have averted more than 2.5 million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for 1.75 million people, TB treatment for 3.9 million people, and by the distribution of 59 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. (RED) is the Global Fund's largest private sector contributor.
To find out more, visit www.theglobalfund.org
