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 Watermill Center's “Paradiso"
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This past Saturday night at the Watermill Center, they staged “Paradiso,” the 17th Annual Watermill Summer Benefit, and raised close to $1.4 million for the Center’s year-round artist residency and education programs.
Highlights of the live auction included: an exclusive edition of Robert Wilson’s Winter Tales chair, which was sold twice by special guest auctioneer Sharon Stone. Stone also roused the audience into bidding twice on a private concert by Rufus Wainwright. Other successful live auction lots included a work by Donald Judd, Marina Abramovic and a large-scale work by Russian conceptualists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. In the second half of the auction, Simon de Pury sold a barbed wire sculpture by French artist Philippe Perrin, a work by Anselm Kiefer, among others.
Robert Wilson, the impresario and creator of the Center is the closest thing to a cult that exists in the art world. Supported by a small army of wealthy art collectors, he took an old abandoned Western Union factory down a country road off Route 27 and transformed it into a sleek and provocative mecca of creativity famous all over the world. A great deal of the monies that helped in the transformation was raised over the years at these annual galas that take place on the last Saturday of July.
This year's silent auction included works by: David Adamo, Daniel Arsham, Michel Auder, Alice Aycock, Carol Bove, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Kathe Burkhart, Jeff Burton, Francesco Clemente, Michael Combs, Rosson Crow, Willem de Kooning, Martin Eder, Tim Eitel, Shepard Fairey, Tierney Gearon, Nan Goldin, Ann Hamilton, Anish Kapoor, Ragnar Kjartansson, Justine Kurland, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Marilyn Minter, Sarah Morris, Youssef Nabil, Shirin Neshat, Dennis Oppenheim, Otto Piene, Kembra Pfahler, Lou Reed, Pipilotti Rist, Erik Schmidt, Taryn Simon, Kate Shepherd, David Benjamin Sherry, Erin Shirreff, Keith Sonnier, Ena Swansea, Spencer Tunick, and James Welling.
Also featured in the live auction: WM, Watermill Paradiso Scent designed exclusively for Watermill by International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) senior designer Loc Dong. 100 bottles, uniquely designed by Watermill International Summer Program participants and artists, were available during the live auction and found enthusiastic buyers.
24 site specific Installations and performances interpreted the theme of paradise created by artists such as Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (US/UK), Yochai Matos (Israel), Janosch Parker (Germany), Al Stark (Australia), Andrey Bartenev (Russia), Marie Eve Nadeau (Canada), Sofia Medici (Argentina), Shige Moriya (Japan/ US), Ximena Garnica (Colombia/US), Sarawut Chutiwongpeti (Thailand), Carlos Soto (US), Charles Chemin (France), Rebecca Delange (Australia), Monira Al Qadiri (Kuwait), Abdulla Alawadi (Kuwait). All of these works were produced by the 70 artists and participants from over two dozen nations on site in the weeks leading up to the benefit and will be on view again to the community on August 8 for Watermill’s annual community day.
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| Robert Wilson |
Guests were greeted by a snow monkey, watched dancers suspended from trees in pods, walked through a 30-foot fun house, watched a human tornado machine in the middle of the silent auction and gazed at a 25-foot flying neon unicorn.
During dinner, Readymade Dance choreographed by André Gingras from Canada and performed by Vincent Morelle of France and Cherif Zaouali of Belgium entertained the 615 dinner guests. The piece was developed as part of the Fall and Spring Residency Program at The Watermill in June of 2010.
Master of Ceremonies was again Watermill’s managing and creative director Jorn Weisbrodt. “A Touch of Class” DJ’ed in the Auction Tent after dinner.
Guests at the event included, Sharon Stone, Alec Baldwin, Miranda Richardson, Emily Mortimer, Marisa Berenson, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Calvin Klein, Rufus Wainwright, Roger Waters, Alan Cumming, Terence Koh, Mike Fury, Zaldy, Lisa Perry, Anne Hearst McInerney and Jay McInerney, Lisa Anastos, Fern Mallis, Eric Ripert, Tatiana and Campion Platt, Nicole Miller, Kathy and Rick Hilton, Andre Balazs, James Frey. |
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| Darrell Hartman, Manish Vora, Tathiana Monacella, Jonah Fay-Hurvitz, and Kyle DeWoody |
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| Alain Coblence and Matilde Guidelli Guidi |
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| Peggy Howard, Yves-Andre Istel, and Kathleen Begala |
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| Tatiana Dubin, Tiffany Dubin, Debbie Bancroft, and Serena Bancroft |
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| Ramona Singer with Performance Artists |
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| Roselee Goldberg, Dakota Jackson, Naomi Benson, and Irving Benson |
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| Suzanne, Dr. Vincent, and Ann Madonia |
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| Ms. Richards, Jacques Azoulay, and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps |
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| Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley |
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| Liam Critzman |
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| Steve Bloomfield and Lisa Anastos |
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| Zoe Guttman, John Camire, and Carlie Mayo |
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| Adrienne Williams, Chris Bosh, and Jason Binn |
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| Francesca and Chris Beale |
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| Zani Gugelmann and James Penfold |
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| Irving Salam and Dorian Dittrich |
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| Maura and Dan Richholt |
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| Donald Venezia, Joy Marks, and Shail Upadhya |
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| Michael Braverman |
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| Paul Judelson |
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| Terence Koh |
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| Jocelyn Avery, Alexis Blais, and Lauren Thayer |
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| Loc Dong and Kelly Nguyen |
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| Lauren Thayer and Elliot Weiss |
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| Andrey Bartenev |
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| Stefano Tonchi |
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| Andrea Wahlquist and Mark Mullett |
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| Barbara Slifka and Junia Doan |
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| Klaus Bismarck and Beth Swofford |
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| Pinky Patel and Natascha Theis |
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| Bridget Goodbody and Jenni Muldaur |
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| Adrien and Summer |
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| Van Cushny and Alix Michele |
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| Kim Taipale and Nicole Miller |
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| Wendy and Roger Ferris |
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| Hala Schlub and James Salomon |
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| Alec Baldwin and friend |
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| Ramona and Mario Singer |
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| Eileen and Bill Kornreich |
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| Ana Farietta and Kathy Murphy |
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| Carol Rosenberg |
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| Russell Piccione and Cecilia Dean |
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| Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney |
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| Nick Gruber and Calvin Klein |
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| Paola Kudacki and James Penfold |
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| Dalia Oberlander and Amanda Hearst |
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| Bob Borchardt and Julie Steamer |
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| Fabiola Beracasa and Jason Beckman |
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| Terry Buckley and Pamela Harris |
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| George and Kimberly Walker |
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| Stefan Bondell and Arden Wohl |
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| Rick Reedman and Cindy Lou Wakefield |
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| David and Lesley Schulhof |
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| Elaina Castaneda and Maura Bulkeley |
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| Will Bancroft, Tiffany Dubin, and Debbie Bancroft |
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| Christie and Tim Gannon |
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| Sharon Stone and Dianne Vavra |
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| Michael Halsband |
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| Sandra and Eric Ripert |
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| Dorian Dittrich and Michael Wudyka |
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| Christina and Dr. Edgar Quadt |
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| Kathy and Rick Hilton |
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| Maya Frey and Amanda Steck |
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| Seda Moon and Crystal Pink |
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| Jack Vartanian and Cassia Avila |
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| Zita Davisson and Gary Lawrence |
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| Bonnie Comley |
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| Dorothy Zinberg |
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| Sharon Stone |
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| Starlight Randall |
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| Carol Mack |
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| Dr. Sharon Giese and Karen Goerl |
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| Davide Balliano and Batool Alshomrani |
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| Michael Combs and Dianne Vavra |
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