July 25, 2009, 6:00 pm
Beginning at 6pm, the evening will include Bacardi cocktails, a silent auction, performances, art installations, dinner, dancing and a live auction hosted by auctioneer Simon de Pury. This gala brings together the worlds of theater, art, fashion, design and society for an evening that is as stimulating and edgy as it is fun. The dress code this year is flaming.
Benefit artists and residents include the Riverbed Theater, En Tzu Chang, Jam Wu, Shun Chu Chen, Chinen Jung Lin, Yung-Hsien Chen, and Chu-Wang Chou from Taiwan, Sue de Beer and C. Ryder Cooley from the U.S., Yourgos Souremellis and Stephanos Droussiotis from Greece, Yochai Matos from Israel, and Sophia Jones from the UK. The artists will present over ten installations and performances that will interpret this year’s theme and bring the guests closer to Inferno.
Dance music will be spun by celebrated DJs “A Touch of Class” after the auction by Simon de Pury, with a special aerial performance by Watermill resident artist C. Ryder Cooley in the dining tent. Fire performances by Todd Robbins throughout the property will ensure that this will be the hottest evening of the summer!
Honorary Chairs include Marina Abramovic, Pedro Almodovar, Laurie Anderson & Lou Reed, Iman & David Bowie, Kathleen Brennan & Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Bob Colacello, Alan Cumming, Merce Cunningham, Willem Dafoe, Christophe de Menil, Philippine de Rothschild, Marianne Faithfull, Carrie Fisher, Frank Gehry, Philip Glass, Nan Goldin, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Bianca Jagger, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Koons, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Meier, Jessye Norman, Zac Posen, Charlotte Rampling, Isabella Rossellini, Viktor & Rolf, Dita von Teese, and Rufus Wainwright.
Benefit Chairs include Lisa Anastos, Wallis Annenberg, Susan Baker & Michael Lynch, Katharina Otto-Bernstein & Nathan Bernstein, Giancarla & Luciano Berti, Bettina & Franz Burda, Christine Wächter-Campbell & William I. Campbell, Lisa de Kooning, Adelaide de Menil & Ted Carpenter, Roger Ferris, Barbara Goldsmith, Calvin Klein, Klever Holdings, Dorothy Lichtenstein, The Honorable & Mrs. Earle I. Mack, Lisa & Richard Perry, Katharine & William Rayner, Carla Emil & Rich Silverstein, and Leila & Melville Straus.
Auction highlights include works by Rita Ackermann, Kristin Baker, Ross Bleckner, Monica Bonvicini, Kathe Burkhart, Bruce Conner, Sue de Beer, Willem de Kooning, Jan Fabre, Barnaby Furnas, Douglas Gordon, Mary Heilmann, Andreas Hofer, Roni Horn, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, William Kentridge, Anselm Kiefer, Martin Kippenberger, Terrence Koh, Oleg Kulik, Joseph LaPiana, Sol Lewitt, Peter Lindbergh, Robert Mapplethorpe, Dennis Oppenheim, Izhar Patkin, Enoc Perez, Elizabeth Peyton, Rob Pruitt, Neo Rauch, Amanda Ross-Ho, Mika Rottenberg, Sterling Ruby, Ed Ruscha, Fred Sandback, Andres Serrano, Gary Simmons, Dirk Skreber, Dash Snow, Ena Swansea, Tal R., Sam Taylor-Wood, Bill Viola, Andy Warhol, John Waters, Carrie Mae Weems, Garth Weiser, and Robert Wilson.
Thanks LVMH for their support. Drinks provided by Château Mouton Rothschild, Bacardi, Peroni, and Voss Water.