RAISES $2.5 MILLION
AT
YESSSSS!
2013 MOCA GALA
CELEBRATING THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION URS FISCHER
CREATIVE DIRECTION BY ROB PRUITT
Los Angeles–
Patrons of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles turned out in
droves this Saturday to support the museum at its annual star-studded
gala, which grossed $2.5 million. The gala's success comes on the heels
of the Board of Trustees’ announcement that it has received commitments
that raise the value of the endowment to $75 million toward the goal of
boosting the museum's endowment to an initial $100 million.
The
museum gala celebrated the opening of the first major U.S. museum
retrospective of works by internationally acclaimed Swiss-born artist
Urs Fischer, and is
the first time an exhibition by a living artist has been presented at
both MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.
MOCA’s
gala drew hundreds of international guests from the worlds of art,
design, architecture, fashion, film, politics and music. In attendance
were Gala Chairs Maria Arena Bell and Eli Broad, Honorary Gala Chairs Stephanie & Peter Brant, Ariel & Sarah Emanuel, Larry Gagosian, Eugenio Lopez, Maurice Marciano and Peter Morton, Dinner Chairs NancyJane & Mark Goldston, Carolyn Powers and Lilly Tartikoff Karatz & Bruce Karatz, Honorary Co-Chairs Dan Aloni, Jim Berkus, Irving & Jackie Blum, Eva & Michael Chow, Mandy & Cliff Einstein, Suzanne & David
Johnson, Amalia Dayan & Adam Lindemann, Margaret and Dan Loeb,
Rosette Delug, Dallas Price-Van Breda & Bob van Breda, Steven Roth
& Kaayla Cevan, Carla & Fred Sands, Catharine Soros, Elham and
Tony Salamé, Darren Star, Maria Seferian, Benjamin and Jennifer Silverman, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Jefery Levy, Lauren Taschen together with MOCA Trustees Chip
Conlan, Laurent Degryse, Susan and David Gersh, Michael Harrison,
Audrey Irmas, Steven Mnuchin, Sutton Stracke, Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, Councilman Herb Wesson, and Orna Amir Wolens.
Red carpet arrivals of Hollywood celebrities, prominent figures in the
art and entertainment fields, fashion icons, and renowned international
and Los Angeles artists and art luminaries included: Doug Aitken, Edgar Arcenaux, Harry Brant, Tim Blum, Lizzi Bougatsos of Gang Gang Dance, Mark Bradford, Gavin Brown, Christine & Gabriel Chiu, China Chow, Dan Colen, Sadie Coles, Jeff Curry,
Kyle DeWoody, Brendan Dugan, Jesse Dylan, Lisa Edelstein, Lisa Eisner,
Ant Genn, Shepard Fairey, Urs Fischer, Danny Fuller, Cyprien Gaillard,
Suzanne Geiss, Aileen Getty, Liz Goldwyn, Brian Grazer, Alan Hergott
& Curt Shephard, Jennifer Herrema, Lady Victoria Hervey, Victoria
Duffy Hopper, Thomas Houseago, Elliott Hundley, Alex Israel, Chris
Johanson & Jo Jackson, Ben Jones, Miranda July, Miriam Katz, Bettina
Korek, George Kotsiopoulos, Giada De Laurentiis, Malerie Marder, Nancy
& Howard Marks, Barry McGee & Clare Rojas, Tobias Meyer, Jarl
& Pam Mohn Anita and Mark Mothersbaugh, Laura Mulleavy, Vivi Nevo,
Stavros Niarchos, Timothy Olyphant, Laura Owens, Ellen Pompeo, Paige
Powell, Rob Pruitt, Wolfgang Puck & Gelilia Assefa, Charlotte
Rampling, Shaun Caley Regen, Retna, Terry Richardson, Amanda Ross-Ho,
Scott Rothkopf, David Salle, André Saraiva, , Julian Schnabel,
Tony Shafrazi, Eckhard Schneider, Rick Ruben, Sumner Redstone, Lara
Schnitger, Cameron Silver, Hedi Slimane, Josh Smith, Dean Spunt &
Randy Randall of No Age, Craig Stecyk, Tara Subkoff, Jennifer Tilly,
Steve Tisch, Gus Van Sant, Owen Wilson and Neville Wakefield.
"The
success of this year’s gala demonstrates the extraordinary and growing
support for the museum from around the world and in Los Angeles ”said
MOCA board co-chair and gala chair Maria Arena Bell, “MOCA has set a
standard among museum galas for once in a lifetime artist-directed
experiences. To coincide with the opening of Urs Fischer’s major
retrospective at MOCA, artist Rob Pruitt brilliantly conceived a
cultural mash up of various things we expect at parties to create a
truly unexpected, and entertaining celebration of Fischer’s work at
MOCA.”
In
mid-March, the museum's board of trustees launched a new fundraising
campaign to boost the endowment to at least $100 million. Co-chaired by
Board President Jeffrey Soros and long-time trustee Eugenio Lopez, the
campaign boosted the value of the endowment from $22 million to more
than $75 million in just four weeks through commitments ranging from $1
million to $10 million from more than 20 current and former trustees and
MOCA patrons.
Entitled YESSSSS!,
the gala was envisioned with creative direction by artist Rob Pruitt as
a “culture” or “power” clash of mismatched ideas, complementing Urs Fischer’s propensity to bridge the banal and the fantastical
through unexpected combinations. The collage-style evening mash up,
where nothing worked with anything and everything had its place, began
at Grand Avenue with a private preview of the exhibition Urs Fischer,
a reception with cocktails provided by Russian Standard Vodka and a
special performance by Los Angeles band No Age. After previewing the
exhibition at Grand Avenue, guests boarded shuttles presenting a video
by artist Cheech Marin giving an impromptu pottery lesson filmed while
he was making clay sculptures for the exhibition, as they headed to The
Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for dinner and performances and a continuing
preview of Fischer’s expansive sculpture installation presenting
thousands of clay works made by the artist with the help of 1,500 people
in L.A.
The
Geffen building was transformed by a variety of incongruous,
fantastical and absurd images. More than 650 gala guests were seated,
donning Hawaiian leis, at Italian trattoria style tables covered in red
and white checked table cloths with Chianti bottle drip candles.
Centerpieces included bong vases with hemp, Rob Pruitt napkins covered
in seemingly drug-induced doodles and waiters wearing t-shirts with
phrases from a poem by artist Marc Hundley, that when taken
together said “Amazing things/Are happening/In this world.” Burly men
dressed as angels floated above the dinner guests, suspended from
scissor lifts usually reserved for the installation of artwork and
lights, while the music that filtered through the room included bird
calls, whale songs, and the sounds of thunder and rain. The ambiance was
occasionally punctuated by the flurry of dollar bills that exploded
from a nearby money cannon. In keeping with the pomp of the evening, a
special Ferrari valet area was available at both locations to
accommodate guests arriving via Ferrari.
Video
projections streamed across the walls over the course of the evening,
alternating between images of the latest YouTube sensations, Internet
cat memes, how-to videos, deep sea creatures, wild life documentaries,
and a “Wolfgang-Puck-making-dinner” video. The outdoor lounge area,
awash in underwater projections, was located conveniently close to the
smoking area and a “4/20 buffet,” which included stoner favorites like
hot dogs, mac and cheese, pizza, Chinese food, and a never-ending supply
of junk food. The marijuana leaf logo featured prominently on the menus
and on glittery pillows and throw blankets that adorned the beds and
lounge chairs for guests to recline on during the night.
Festivities
continued with Renaissance Fair characters in costume, a goat petting
zoo, and a giant panda directing the way to the restrooms. Guests had
their pick between the taffy making area, the goat milk creamery, and an
old-fashioned cotton candy machine spinning candy onto glowsticks.
Smokey the Bear welcomed smokers to the smoking section and guests lined
up to make their own digital flip books, many of whom donned the
outlandish costumes and props that were on hand for them to have their
fun. Guests sipped on fresh juice bar cocktails and wheatgrass shots
while watching a bevy of hula dancers perform.
A Parisian Style Bistro dinner courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering, included a first course of a frisee salad with julienne of bacon, poached egg, brioche croutons and sherry mustard vinaigrette, along with an assortment of Wolfgang Puck breads, rolls and lavosh
with sweet butter. The first course had barely finished when the entire
USC Trojans Marching Band took over the hall. Led by their baton
twirler, and book-ended by tireless cheerleaders, the entire band in
sunglasses marched between the many tables. By the time they filtered
out of the hall, all of the guests were clapping and cheering. Accompanying the main course of a duo of roasted chicken with jus, grilled New York steak, roasted asparagus, frites and lyonnaise potatoes complimented by Wolfgang Puck Private Label wine, were musical performances by Mark Mothersbaugh, one
of the most unique, subversive, and prolific composers and artists of
the era who played the organ and synthesizer, and stand up and comedy
appearances by Nick Kroll, Kumail Nanjiani and soap star and patch-clad Steven Nichols. The highlight of the evening came as legendary American sweethearts and pop superstars The Go-Go’s took the stage with a barefoot Belinda Carlisle,
and brought all guests to their feet. Artists, trustees, politicians,
and celebrities rubbed shoulders as the dancing began to hit song “We
Got the Beat.”
A
vast spread of desserts, including an Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Spring
Inspired French Macaroons, Mini Coffee Eclairs, Raspberry Creme Brulee
Tarts, and Apple Tarte Tatin were devoured outside under the Geffen
canopy strung with disco balls. The after-party with performances by Jennifer Herrema and Black Bananas, and comedian Rory Scovel
did in fact bring the guests to their feet once again dancing and
chatting until late into the evening. Guests seemed loath to go home,
avoiding the valet and shuttle services until the very last moment.
IMAGES: YESSSS! MOCA Gala 2013 in celebration of the opening of Urs Fischer—with creative direction by Rob Pruitt, Saturday, April 20, 2013, photos by Billy Farrell Agency.
ABOUT URS FISCHER
One
of today’s most important contemporary artists, Fischer is known for
using a range of media to express the transience of art and,
concomitantly, the human condition. Jessica Morgan, Curator,
International Art, at Tate Modern in London, is curating the exhibition,
which will occupy both MOCA Grand Avenue and The Geffen Contemporary at
MOCA, from April 21, 2013, to August 19, 2013. Presenting his work of
the last decade, the show will bring together for the first time
Fischer’s many iconic works from leading international collections as
well as recent productions and a special installation made by the artist
with the help of 1500 people in LA. Each MOCA location will have a
distinct character and approach responding and adapting to the unique
spaces of the museum. Fischer will weave together the storyline of his
work: skeletons will meet movie stars, toys will greet grave-like holes,
and our accustomed sense of disinterested distance will be
simultaneously embraced and destroyed.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES (MOCA)
Founded
in 1979, MOCA’s mission is to be the defining museum of contemporary
art. The institution has achieved astonishing growth in its brief
history—with three Los Angeles locations of architectural renown; more
than 10,000 members; a world-class permanent collection of nearly 6,700
works international in scope and among the finest in the nation;
hallmark education programs that are widely emulated; award-winning
publications that present original scholarship; and groundbreaking
monographic, touring, and thematic exhibitions of international repute
that survey the art of our time. MOCA is a private not-for-profit
institution supported by its members, corporate and foundation support,
government grants, and retail and admission revenues. For 24-hour
information on current exhibitions, education programs, and special
events, call 213/626-6222 or access MOCA online at moca.org.
ABOUT ROB PRUITT
Since
he emerged on the New York art scene in the late ‘80s, Rob Pruitt’s
risk-taking investigations into American popular culture have taken many
forms. From his notorious Cocaine Buffet (1998) and glitter portraits
of pandas to such events as his ongoing Flea Market and Annual Art
Awards, and a silvered Andy Warhol monument on public view, Pruitt has
employed a post-Pop sensibility to playfully satirize the art world and
its ambivalent relation to celebrity and popular culture. Pruitt’s
diverse oeuvre made with his particular brand of iconoclastic humor and
visual exuberance stays true to the spirit of disruption that has long
been central to his practice. His first American survey, Rob Pruitt: An
American Folk Artist, will be presented at the
Aspen Art Museum May 3 – July 14, 2013.
ABOUT THE GO-GO’s
Formed
in Los Angeles in 1978, The Go-Go’s made history as the first
all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own
instruments to top the Billboard album charts.
From
their halcyon days as America’s sweethearts, to their current status as
superstars who pioneered a genre, the internationally-loved pop
hit-makers including classic line up of lead singer and 80’s pop icon
Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Jane Wiedlin, helped
cement the foundation of the early 80′s
pop-rock sound without the aid of outside composers, session players or
creative compromise, and soared to become a pop phenomenon, while
having a lot of fun and blazing a brand-new trail for the DIY ethic in
general, and women in music in particular.
The
band rose to fame during the early 1980s with a debut album, Beauty and
the Beat, considered as one of the cornerstone albums of US new wave,
breaking barriers and paving the way for a host of other new American
acts. The album reached number one in the Billboard 200 chart, and
reached triple platinum status, making it one of the most successful
debut albums ever. Three decades later, The Go-Go’s continue to deliver
every bit of the raw energy of their now-legendary punk beginnings.
ABOUT MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
Mark
Mothersbaugh is one of this era’s most unique and prolific composers
and artists. His subversive nature is present within both his music and
artwork. Deeply aware of the ability of precise, multi-faceted artistic
expression to deliver vital social commentary, he has perpetually
challenged and redefined musical and visual boundaries.
With
DEVO, his most successful music project, Mark was able to showcase his
artistic abilities on a larger scale, and to millions of people. Through
their films, videos, costumes, LP covers, stage shows, and printed
materials, Mark and DEVO forever altered commonly held preconceptions of
how a rock band should function in popular culture.
As an award winning composer and prolific artist, Mark Mothersbaugh is one of this generations biggest pop culture figures.
ABOUT NO AGE
Formed
in 2005 and based in Los Angeles, No Age is a two-person experimental
punk group consisting of guitarist Randy Randall and drummer/vocalist
Dean Allen Spunt. They played their first show at the New Image Art
gallery and continue to have strong ties to the art world.
In
2010, No Age performed a live score at the RedCat Theatre in Los
Angeles for the film Aanteni, directed by Todd Cole for the fashion
designers Rodarte. In 2011 the band accompanied video artist Doug Aitken
and actress Chloë Sevigny to Greece to perform the multimedia
installation piece Black Mirror, supported by the DESTE Foundation and
the Greek Festival. They also made a zine called Reality Problems, that
was commissioned by the Los Angeles art book and clothing store Ooga
Booga for their booth at the New York Art Book Fair; and made a
soundtrack and installation piece for MOCAʼs exhibition Hedi Slimane California Song presented at MOCA Pacific Design Center.
Last
year No Age released the Collage Culture 12" on Post Present Medium, A
soundtrack to readings of excerpts from the book Collage Culture,
written by Aaron Rose, Mandy Kahn and designed by Brian Roettinger
published by JRP-Ringier. No Age are currently working on their fourth
album for Sub Pop Records.
ABOUT BLACK BANANAS
Jennifer
Herrema has been helping to define the underground rock scene since her
teen years in the late 1980's constantly pushing forward both her music
and her style. Herrema is a singer, song writer, record producer,
artist and model best known for her work as one half of the influential
rock band Royal Trux, which she constantly reinvented before releasing
three albums under the name RTX. She is a pioneer of comprehensive
non-exclusive opposition rock and Black Bananas, performing with Brian
Mckinley and Kurt Midness, is the latest addition to her oeuvre.
ABOUT MIRIAM KATZ
Miriam
Katz has organized exhibitions and performances for MoMA PS1, The
Kitchen, Art21, and Columbia University. Her curatorial work has been
reviewed in publications such as The New Yorker, The Village Voice, and
Bomb. She has written for publications including Artforum, Bookforum,
and Flash Art, and has been a visiting critic at Columbia University,
New York University, and Bard CCS. Katz currently works as a writer and
researcher for Artforum and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Art History
from Hunter College. Her podcast, “Breakdown,” features interviews with
both comedians and visual artists (breakdownshow.com).
ABOUT NICK KROLL
Comedian
Nick Kroll created and currently stars in the Comedy Central series
Kroll Show. He can also be seen on FX’s The League. In 2011, Kroll
recorded an hour-long special for Comedy Central, “Thank You Very Cool.”
The comedian has also appeared
in the films Get Him to the Greek, Dinner for Schmucks, Date Night, and
I Love You Man. He has written for Chappelle’s Show, and Human Giant,
and is the author of the best-selling book Bar Mitzvah Disco. Kroll was
featured on Comedy Central's "Hot List of '09” and was voted one of
Variety’s “Ten Comics to Watch.”
ABOUT KUMAIL NANJIANI
Kumail
Nanjiani is a stand-up comedian and writer who has appeared on Conan,
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, and
Jimmy Kimmel. He has been featured in Variety 's "Ten Comics to Watch,”
Hollywood Reporter's "Ten Rising Comedy Talents" and New York Magazine s
"Ten Comedians that Funny People Find Funny." Nanjiani currently stars
on TNT’s Franklin & Bash, appears as a recurring character on IFC’s
Portlandia, and will appear on the upcoming season of HBO’s VEEP. The
comedian recently filmed a one-hour Comedy Central Special set to air
this May.
ABOUT RORY SCOVEL
Stand-up
Comedian Rory Scovel has been featured at the Just For Laughs festival
in Montreal, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, and Bonnaroo.
His Comedy Central Half Hour premiered last May. Scovel has appeared on
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,
and Conan. He can also be seen on episodes of MTV’s Zach Stone Is Gonna
Be Famous. He stand-up album, Dilation, was released in 2011. Scovel is
currently starring in the upcoming TBS sitcom The Ground Floor.
ABOUT RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA
Russian
Standard Vodka is the world's #1 premium Russian vodka. The Russian
Standard Vodka portfolio leads the premium segment in Russia with a 50
percent market share and sales of over 2.9 million cases worldwide in
2012. Roustam Tariko, the founder of Russian Standard, introduced
Russian Standard Vodka in 1998 as the first authentic Russian premium
vodka. A mere two years after Russian Standard Vodka launched in
Russia, the brand's sales surpassed all imported premium vodkas, leading
to broad international expansion as well as the launches of Russian
Standard Platinum in 2001, Imperia Vodka in 2004, and Russian Standard
Gold in 2008. Now the Russian Standard Vodka portfolio has grown to
reach more than 75 markets across Europe, the Americas, Asia and
Africa. All Russian Standard Vodka products are kosher. Most recently,
Russian Standard Vodka was awarded the IMPACT "2012 Hot Brand" and
Beverage Dynamics "2013 Growth Brands" awards for its 2012 US
performance. http://www.russianstandardvodka.com
