Aura readings, portraits by French artist JR and a cameo from Nick Cave’s Soundsuit Invasions capped off the night of revelry
Words by DIANE DORRANS SAEKS
Art Bash, SFMOMA’s biennial fundraiser, filled seven floors of modern and contemporary galleries on Wednesday, May 22, with impromptu installations, DJs and vivid performances. The music-and dance-enhanced evening benefits SFMOMA’s exhibition and education programs.
0007-artbash-190522 1/17: JESSICA MOMENT. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0642-artbash-190522 2/17: Former Yahoo! Inc. CEO MARISSA MAYER and philanthropist VANESSA GETTY. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0399-artbash-190522 3/17: KATE HARBIN CLAMMER. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0676-artbash-190522 4/17: Collector and philanthropist KOMAL SHAH. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0587-artbash-190522 5/17: PAMELA JOYER and artist NICK CAVE. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0317-artbash-190522 6/17: ALKA AGRAWAL and RAVIN AGRAWAL. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
8293-artbash-190522 7/17: ALISON HARRINGTON. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0218-artbash-190522 (1) 8/17: RANDI FISHER. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0230-artbash-190522 9/17: CAROLYN CHANG. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0542-artbash-190522 10/17: CIMI AHLUWALIA and JOSEPH BECKER. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
3237-artbash-190522 11/17: EMMA FISHER. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
3257-artbash-190522 12/17: ABIGAIL TURIN and JONATHAN GANS. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0859-artbash-190522 13/17: MOURAD LAHLOU and MATHILDE FROUSTEY, principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
3146-artbash-190522 (1) 14/17: SUZY KELLEMS DOMINIK. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0690-artbash-190522 15/17: Art advisor SABRINA BUELL and SFMOMA trustee and designer YVES BEHAR. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
1069-artbash-190522 16/17: Artist RODNEY McMILLIAN. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
0703-artbash-190522 (1) 17/17: Twitter founder EVAN WILLIAMS and SARA WILLIAMS. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin, and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
Guests included Marissa Mayer, Randi Fisher, Carolyn Chang, Kate Clammer and Vanessa Getty, who kicked off the evening at a cocktail hour, surrounded by French artist JR’s monumental new digital mural, The Chronicles of San Francisco, a lively black and white panorama.
Sabrina Buell was just back from Venice Biennale preview week and Komal Shah gathered insider Venice art tips for her June travel there.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the newest installations, including a Sean Scully piece at San Giorgio Maggiore,” Shah said.
“The Biennale sounds fantastic, so let’s plan to go for 2021,” architect Abby Turin noted to her husband, Jon Gans.
SFMOMA design curator Joseph Becker revealed his upcoming exhibition on space travel. “I’ve secured two space suits, and the show will raise many important questions, including about space travel, space exploration, module design and living in space,” Becker said.
Artist Tauba Auerbach designed the dinner decor, which included dramatic blue and yellow plates that guests were able to take home (washed and handed out at departure). She also planned the colorful vegetarian menu.
Following the dinner, the museum opened for revelry throughout the building, including aura reading, photo booths, live art making and portraits by JR. Guests who posed for portraits included Eva and Sara Williams, Mary Zlot, Alex Israel, Saer Coulter, Nancy Bechtle and Mathilde Froustey.
Feature image: A museum-wide party included a performance by artist Nick Cave’s Soundsuit Invasions, which included dancers from Mills College and Art Floor. Photo by Drew Altizer, Ando Caulfield, Arthur Kobin and Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography.
