Hirshhorn Celebrates with International Artists and Art World Luminaries at New York Gala

Nov. 4, 2016

Hirshhorn Celebrates with International Artists and Art World Luminaries at New York Gala
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 | 1 World Trade Center, New York

New York—On Thursday, Nov. 3, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden celebrated a year of milestone achievements with a festive gala attended by a diverse group of contemporary artists and prominent cultural influencers from around the world, including many of today’s most important directors, collectors, curators, gallerists and philanthropists, at 1 World Trade Center in New York City.

Hosted by Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu and Hirshhorn Trustee Board Chair Daniel Sallick and honoring 40 of the most exciting contemporary artists working today, the evening began with a lively cocktail reception for approximately 320 guests, who were entertained by a dozen Mariachi performers orchestrated by the acclaimed Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson, who led the crowd in an inspired toast to the Hirshhorn. Guests were treated to stunning panoramic views of the Hudson River and Manhattan skyline at sunset, set against a shimmering silver and purple Mylar backdrop recalling Kjartansson’s iconic durational work, Woman in E, currently on view at the Hirshhorn through Jan. 8, 2017, as part of his first major U.S. survey.

Once in the main dining room, guests enjoyed an elegant seated dinner and a dynamic program, featuring a special video compilation of the artist honorees in their studios responding to the singular question, “What does it mean to make art today?” The night’s program also featured speakers Daniel Sallick and Melissa Chiu, who concluded the dinner portion of the evening by toasting the Artist Honorees in attendance for their unique contributions to contemporary art and culture.

“The Hirshhorn was built on a legacy of supporting the most innovative and compelling artists of our time, and that core mission is still at the heart of everything we do. It is thrilling to look to our future with this incredible generation of international artists in mind as together we shape the way forward for the global art world,” said Chiu. “We are incredibly grateful to all of the artists for joining us this evening, in particular Ragnar Kjartansson, who never fails to surprise us, as well as for the many wonderful guests who attended this event in support of the Hirshhorn.”

To download a selection of social images from BFA, please click here.

GALA CHAIRS: Haryanto Adikoesoemo, Joleen and Mitch Julis, and Mary and John Pappajohn

SPECIAL GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE:

ARTIST HONOREES: Ahmed Alsoudani, Ellen Altfest, David Altmejd, Harold Ancart, Iván Argote, Ed Atkins, Davide Balula, Ali Banisadr, Eduardo Basualdo, Neïl Beloufa, Katherine Bernhardt, Antoine Catala, Rachael Champion, Jose Dávila, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, Sam Falls, Aaron Garber-Maikovska, Ha Chong-Hyun, Secundino Hernández, John Houck, Donna Huanca, Alex Israel, Rashid Johnson, Ragnar Kjartansson, Agnieszka Kurant, Dean Levin, Tony Lewis, Eric Mack, Justin Matherly, Rodney McMillian, Reynier Leyva Novo, Adam Pendleton, Eileen Quinlan, Matt Saunders, Avery Singer, Michael E. Smith, Mika Tajima, Torey Thornton and Jordan Wolfson.

ARTISTS, GALLERISTS, MUSEUM and ART WORLD LEADERS: Ai Weiwei, artist; Thorsten Albertz, Albertz Benda; Stéphane Aquin, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Roland Augustine, Luhring Augustine; Matt Bangser, Blum & Poe; Bill Beckley, artist; Sophie Beeftink, Tina Kim Gallery; Tanya Bonakdar, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery; Aaron Bondaroff, Moran Bondaroff; Dara Birnbaum, artist; Katherine Brinson, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Katarina Burin, artist; Suzanne Butler, CANADA; Christopher Canizares, Hauser & Wirth; Serena Cattaneo, Gagosian; Howie Chen, curator; Rob Colvin, artist; Barbara Corti, Hauser & Wirth; Paul de Froment, Almine Rech Gallery; Nina del Rio, Sotheby’s; Lisa Dennison, Sotheby’s; Shayne Doty, Asia Society; Elizabeth Duggal, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Adrienne Edwards, curator; Erin Falls, Hannah Hoffman Gallery; Courtney Falsey, actress and screenwriter; Sara Friedlander, Christie’s; Benjamin Genocchio, The Armory Show; Philip Grauer, CANADA; Luisa Gui, Performa; Greg Hilty, Lisson Gallery; Sheree Hovseplan, artist; Amanda Hunt, The Studio Museum in Harlem; Lisa Ivorian-Jones, curator; Alexis Johnson, Paula Cooper Gallery; Branwen Jones, David Zwirner Gallery; Gianni Jetzer, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Michael Joo, artist; Mary and Sean Kelly, Sean Kelly Gallery; Tina Kim, Tina Kim Gallery; Hannah Klemm, Saint Louis Museum of Art; Nicolas Koenigsknecht, Peres Projects; Hailey “Lola” Kramer, artist; Andrew Kreps, Andrew Kreps Gallery; Michelle Kuo, Artforum; Ash L’Ange, Herald Street Gallery; Peggy Leboeuf, Galerie Perrotin; Julio Le Parc, artist; Yamil Le Parc, actor; Jason Liebman, actor; Brett Littman, The Drawing Center; Sharon Lockhart, artist; Mia Locks, curator; Nicholas and Alex Logsdail, Lisson Gallery; Caroline Luce, Gladstone Gallery; Lawrence Luhring, Luhring Augustine; Stéphany Maillery, actress; Carly Mark, artist; David Meitus, Sperone Westwater; Linn Meyers, artist; Oliver Miro, Victoria Miro Gallery; Mills Moran, Moran Bondaroff; Stuart Morrison, Hales Gallery; Luis Perez-Oramas, Museum of Modern Art; Emmanuel Perrotin, Galerie Perrotin; Almine Rech, Almine Rech Gallery; Adrianne Rubenstein, artist; Mary Sabbatino, Galerie Lelong; Paula Sankoff, Victoria Miro Gallery; Thor Shannon, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise; Paul Schimmel, Hauser Wirth & Schimmel; Joshua Siegel, MoMA; Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir, artist; Tavares Strachan, artist; Emilio Steinberger, Dominique Lévy Gallery; Lumi Tan, curator; Kelly Taxter, The Jewish Museum; Cheyney Thompson, artist; Julia Trotta, curator; Jessie Washburne-Harris, Marian Goodman Gallery; Christian Wassmann, architect; Offer Waterman, Offer Waterman; Kristel Wedin, actress and producer; Wallace Whitney, artist; and Joel Yoss, Hauser & Wirth. 

COLLECTORS and PHILANTHROPISTS: Robert F. Agostinelli, Christine Aylward, Jill and Jay Bernstein, Christina Bocobo, Marcus Brauchli, Jane Cafritz, Gina Lin Chu, Stephan Cretier, Valerie and Charles Diker, Jonah Disend, Trinh Doan, George Economou, Stephanie Foster, Lisa and Danny Goldberg, Liz and Jonathan Goldman, Janine and Tom Hill, Rachel Hirshhorn, Joleen and Mitch Julis, Stefanie and Doug Kahn, Michelle and Sonny Kalsi, Francesca Lana, Barbara Levine, Monika McLennan, Adam Metz, Ruth and Harold J. Newman, Nathan Romano, Sheri Schlesinger, Shirley and Jack Silver, Iris and Adam Singer, Nadia and Edward Sopher, Juliana Terian, Elizabeth von Habsburg, Larry Warsh, Nina and Gary Wexler; Joséphine Weil and Tiffany Zabludowicz.

ABOUT THE HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. With nearly 12,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media installations, works on paper and new media

works, its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time—free to all, 364 days a year. For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu.