Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
Los Angeles: The Museum of
Contemporary Art – MOCA. The Museum of Contemporary Art, (MOCA), celebrated its 32-year history as one of the world’s leading
contemporary art institutions with An
Artist’s Life Manifesto, a special gala envisioned by renowned
performance artist Marina Abramović who
served as this year’s gala artistic director. Music and popular culture icon Deborah Harry, also known as Blondie performed
hit songs.
Note: I never write about
events I haven’t been to, this is an exception because of my love for art, food,
table settings and my admiration for Marina Abramovic, also the singularity of
this event intrigued me.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
An Artist’s Life Manifesto, hosted
by Gala Chairs Maria Arena Bell and
Eli Broad, Honorary Gala Chairs Larry Gagosian and Dasha Zhukova, together with MOCA
Director Jeffrey Deitch, began
with cocktails, what Abramović called Post-Human
Cocktails, and included a private preview of the exhibition Naked Hollywood: Weegee in Los Angeles, which
opened to the public on November 13. Curated by art historian Richard Meyer,
the exhibition is the first museum survey devoted to the body of work that the
tabloid photographer known as Weegee produced in Southern California. Guests
also previewed the Kenneth Anger:
Icons exhibition, which showcases the films, books, and artwork of one
of the most original filmmakers of American cinema. After previewing the
exhibitions, guests preceded to the gala tent, where they were fitted with
crisp, white lab coats before entering the main event.
Above: MOCA
director Jeffrey Deitch, performance artist Marina Abramovic, actresses Tilda
Swinton and Ellen Barkin and MOCA Gala chair Maria Arena Bell.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
“Marina Abramović choreographed
an extraordinary art performance in which all of our guests were participants,”
commented MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch “It fused an art experience with a
social experience.” An Artist’s Life
Manifesto continued in the main tent, decorated in black box fashion
with mirrors and dark walls, some guests sat down to a reenactment of
Abramović’s Nude with Skeleton (2002,
2005, 2010) work in which female performers were situated under skeletons on
rotating platforms at the center of round dinner tables.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
At other tables performers were stationed under black-cloaked dinner
tables as live centerpieces, their heads popping out from holes cut into the
tables and slowly rotating around. The centerpieces engaged in non-verbal
exchanges with guests who chose to interact with them, meeting the gazes of the
diners as they ate and drank.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
At everyone’s place setting cards instructed guests to “look, but do not
touch,” and invited them to silently communicate with the performers: “The
centerpiece will observe you. You may observe the centerpiece...please respect
the rules.”
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
The evening concluded with a surprise finale, dessert prepared by Kreëmart, the Manhattan-based creative
entity. Guests watched as the pallbearers carrying “bodies,” which were
unveiled by Harry and Abramović to reveal naked figures of themselves,
decorated with white chocolate fondant.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
Wielding carving knives, Harry and Abramović, then sliced open their
likenesses to reveal red velvet (Harry) and rich chocolate (Abramović) cake
inside. Two performers then took over, cutting apart their edible body parts to
serve the gala guests.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner. The red velvet Deborah Harry cake.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner. Sticky fingers, chocolate Marina Abramovic and red velvet, Deborah Harry.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner.
Actor Donovan Leitch enjoys a “finger” piece of cake.
Photo Credit - Getty Images for MOCA
MOCA Gala Dinner. While guests dined, the pallbearers
returned to the stage carrying a cloaked Deborah Harry, who emerged in white
lab coat, which she promptly stripped off to reveal a tight blood-red cocktail
dress. Harry treated guests to a rousing performance of “China Shoes,” “Heart
of Glass,” “One Way or Another,” “What I Heard,” and “Mother,” bringing the
crowd to its feet. Guests danced around the stage, relishing an intimate,
once-in-a-lifetime experience with the pop icon and legend.