Under the hammer

The Photographers’ Gallery is to hold a charity auction at Christie’s South Kensington site in mid February.

The auction had been designed to raise the final pennies to transform and expand its Ramillies Street Gallery.

The auction, which will take place on 17 February, will offer nearly 70 lots including the work of Helmut Newton, Rineke Dijkstra, Sebastião Salgado and Corinne Day.

The works will be on public display at Christie’s South Kensington from 12 -17 February, culminating in the live auction on 17 February at 8pm. A series of free public talks by featured artists Simon Roberts, Rut Blees Luxemburg and Karen Knorr, as well as Gallery Curator Stefanie Braun, will be programmed during the viewing days.

The £8.7m redevelopment project has been led by architect O’Donnell & Tuomey, with assistance from engineers Arup and Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners. The 15 month-long construction project, which began in October 2010, will involve putting a ‘cardigan’ around the existing Ramillies Street building, creating three floors of public galleries and a new floor dedicated to educational programmes.

Viewing Dates run from 12 – 17 February 2011 at Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 with the auction at 8pm on 17 February.