They say that everything is bigger in Texas. This year’s RE:DEFINE auction soirée, taking place Friday, April 8, is no exception. RE:DEFINE is a fundraiser, which is held at Dallas Contemporary, supports MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes awareness, activism, and education around the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The event, which is now in its fifth year (and its third year partnering with online auction platform Paddle8), brings together some of the world’s greatest artists, dealers, and collectors, for one fantastic evening. British songstress Leona Lewis will croon for an enthusiastic audience of Dallas’s collector community; superstar artists such as Marc Quinn, Damien Hirst, Dan Colen, Sterling Ruby, and Enoc Perez will have work featured throughout the evening; and legendary auctioneer, Simon de Pury will do what he does best—get guests to bid, bid, bid.

De Pury is a tour de force in the contemporary auction world, and also an avid philanthropist and longtime supporter of the Staying Alive Foundation. Of the organization he said, “MTV conjures up fond memories for me going right back to its start. I was instantly addicted to it and glued to the screen 24/7. ‘I want my MTV’—the phrase coined by Dire Straits in their famous song Money for Nothing—spoke for a whole generation. Fast forward, and MTV today is a major media empire. It is laudable and exemplary to see how the network uses the fruits of its incredible success for an amazing philanthropic commitment.”

On the topic of this year’s auction, Mr. de Pury shared some of his top picks:

WILL BOONE
ʇx, 2015

MARC QUINN
We Share Our Chemistry With the Stars (XX200), 2016

ROB PRUITT
Love and Mercy, 2016

DAN COLEN
Orgasm Addict, 2014

STERLING RUBY
Trough, 2014

Enoch Perez

Banging the Gavel for a Good Cause: MTV:REDEFINE in Dallas