The Watermill Center will once again bring together the worlds of theater, art, fashion, design, and society for The Big Bang : The 19th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit. Watermill International Summer Program Participants from over 25 countries will create eight acres of installations and performances throughout the grounds of Watermill during the event. The funds raised will support The Watermill Center’s International Summer Program and year round Artist Residency Program, providing a unique environment for young and emerging artists to explore and develop their work.

The Watermill Center is pleased to announce that Mike Kelley 1954 – 2012, a tribute exhibition in collaboration with LUMA Foundation including works from the Kandor Project will open at The Big Bang. The exhibition is curated by Harald Falckenberg and will be on view at The Watermill Center through September 16, 2012.

Beginning at 6pm, the evening will include cocktails generously provided by Bacardi USA, a silent auction, performances, art installations, dinner, dancing and a live auction hosted by auctioneer Simon de Pury, Chairman, Phillips de Pury & Company. The dress code for The Big Bang is Pop and will inspire the fashion of the evening as guests dance under the stars in the auction tent.

This year’s silent and live auction will include over 100 lots from emerging and established artists including Marina Abramovic, Grimanesa Amoros, Daniel Arsham, Alice Aycock, Donald Baechler, Ross Bleckner, Scott Campbell, Sandro Chia, Christopher Chiappa, Colette, Anne-Lise Coste, Alex Da Corte, E. V. Day and Kembra Pfahler, Willem de Kooning, Jen DeNike, Graham Durward, Michael Dweck, Maximilan Eicke, Jan Fabre, Nicholas Forker, Rachel Foullon, Brendan Fowler, James Franco, Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe, Philip Glass, Jim Hodges, Rosy Keyser, Zak Kitnick, Laleh Khorramian, Jeremy Kost, Mona Kuhn, Guillermo Kuitca, Ari Marcopoulos, Megan Marrin, Olivier Mosset, Youssef Nabil, Shirin Neshat, Erwin Olaf, Dennis Oppenheim, Otto Piene, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Alexandra Posen, Anselm Reyle, Terry Richardson, Mariah Robertson, Will Ryman, David Scanavino, Lola Schnabel, Seher Shah, Gedi Sibony, Lucien Smith, Matthew Stone, Paul Thek, Kon Trubkovich, Spencer Tunick, Ian Tweedy, Nick van Woert, Dan Walsh, Albert Watson, Robert Wilson, Jonas Wood, Aaron Young, Michael Bilsborough.

The Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation thanks LVMH / Moët Hennessy.Louis Vuitton

cocktails courtesy of Bacardi USA
wine provided by Mouton Rothschild
additional beverages provided by Peroni, Izze, S.Pellegrino and Acqua Pana