A new initiative called 10% Of launches at Frieze London and Frieze Masters, inviting galleries to donate 10% of the sale price of designated works to the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), an international art world environmental charity. Nearly thirty galleries have signed up, including major names like Gagosian, White Cube, David Zwirner, and Lisson, as well as smaller venues. The scheme aims to reframe a standard art market gesture into collective climate action, with participating works ranging from £3,000 to £150,000 and including pieces by artists such as Cy Twombly, Jean Dubuffet, Cornelia Parker, and Ugo Rondinone.
The initiative matters because it offers a practical, sector-wide model for environmental engagement that could spread beyond Frieze to other art fairs and events, potentially transforming how the art world addresses the climate crisis. However, the article argues that such donations are not a silver bullet, pointing out the hypocrisy of prominent collectors and gallerists who continue to use private jets—the most environmentally damaging individual activity. The piece calls for the art world to move beyond symbolic gestures and take more substantive action, such as curbing emissions and waste, to align with its stated environmental commitments.