On May 2nd we attended the bi-annual event with TEFAF, one of our favorite events of the year. Not only do we support an amazing organization, but it is an evening with beautiful art, interesting people, and lots of champagne. Who does not like champagne?

The opening celebration included The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s third annual Opening Night Benefit, where the proceeds will support The Society’s patient care, research, and education programs, as well as the acclaimed cultural programs produced by the Park Avenue Armory.

This year the art was more modern than ever before. I have always had a hard time with modern art but a few years back I started challenging myself to go to modern art museums whenever I would go travel to see if I could start enjoying some types of modern art and I found myself slowly getting more and more interested. I started analyzing what the pieces might mean and what they might even mean for me. Did I appreciate the story or challenge they were proposing?

This show was packed with ALL kinds of modern art and from big artists such as Matisse and Pissarro. Single artist displays proved a popular feature at the Fair. Examples included an homage to Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) at Pace. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac sold its entire collection of 39 pieces by Georg Baselitz (b. 1938). A third exhibitor who showcased work by a particular artist was new exhibitor, Kamel Mennour, which sold four works by Bertrand Lavier (b. 1949), an artist best known for exploring and expanding the relationship between painting and sculpture. Purchased works include three acrylic paintings titled Walt Disney Productions (2019), Nobilis no2 (2019), and Ramlösa (2013), and a colorful acrylic painted Steinway piano titled Erard (2018).

And the night would not be complete without mentioning all of the celebrity attendees! Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder; the businesswoman, Aerin Lauder; fashion icon, Lauren Santo Domingo; real-estate tycoon and collector, Aby Rosen; Scarlett Johansson; John McEnroe; and fashion designer Wes Gordon.

– Line

Photos by BFA / Mike Vitelli and Kelsey Bennett via Sharp Communications