Christie's Positions Contemporary Art Auction Fete Around 23-Foot-Tall Bear Sculpture

May 10, 2011

Sitting prominently in Midtown's Seagram Plaza, Urs Fischer's 23-foot-tall sculpture of a teddy bear is an impressive sight, and on Saturday it served as the centerpiece and design springboard for an event Christie's hosted to celebrate its contemporary art auction. The Swiss artist's enormous, 35,000-pound, canary-yellow piece, known as "Untitled (Lamp/Bear)," is being offered by real estate developer Aby Rosen in the auction house's sale on Wednesday. So to mark the occasion, the early evening cocktail reception was held in transparent tents placed around the installation.

Some 350 guests—including the artist and hosts Christie's deputy chairmen Brett Gorvy and Amy Cappellazzo—turned out for the party, mingling in a clean space decorated with subtle, but playful references to childhood memories. Producer Ryan Jordan of Harrison & Shriftman's recently launched design division, Studio HS, worked closely with Christie's special event manager Susan Bohlen to develop the look, drawing ideas from Fischer's own inspiration to incorporate old-fashioned toys, weathered objects, and heirloom imagery into the event's scenery.

Nibbling on bite-size hors d'oeuvres from Mary Giuliani Catering & Events, which included miniature quail eggs, French fries dotted with foie gras sauce, and lobster clubs with citrus aioli and pancetta, guests sat on the mismatched chairs, sofas, love seats, and plush stools scattered through the space. Old trunks topped with antique-style votives and flower vases served as tables; and the vintage-wallpaper-covered DJ booth, patterned bartender shirts, and a custom bar front provided additional references to the nostalgic motif.

To complement the scale of the sculpture and house the evening's performances, Jordan built an oversize jack-in-the-box painted with old-fashioned fairy-tale illustrations. From this structure acrobats dressed as a teddy bear, china doll, and jester emerged, bouncing and dancing to a calliope-like tune.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

Artfully rendered in bronze, Urs Fischer's sculpture "Untitled (Lamp/Bear)" sits in Seagram Plaza and will remain there until September. Taking advantage of the art's spacious location, Christie's held its event in tents placed around the 23-foot-tall structure.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

The transparency of the tent walls afforded views of the sculpture and also informed the event's design. Playing with a motif of childhood nostalgia, producer Ryan Jordan used mismatched furniture to form seating areas.

Photo: Courtesy of Studio HS

Jordan salvaged a handful of wooden chairs and reupholstered them with pale green leather. Illustrations painted on the back added a whimsical touch.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

Rather than tables, the event had weathered trunks topped with antique-style votives and vases.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

The event organizers also covered the surface of the DJ booth with vintage wallpaper. Adding to the atmosphere, DJ M.O.S. spun old-school tunes from Madonna, Ace of Base, and New Radicals, among others.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

To match the scale of Fischer's 23-foot-tall teddy bear sculpture, Jordan created a larger-than-life jack-in-the-box.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

From inside the giant jack-in-the-box, three performers emerged, each dressed as a different children's toy.

Photo: Courtesy of Studio HS

The whimsical illustrations that decorated the jack-in-the-box also appeared on cones holding French fries.

Photo: Courtesy of Studio HS

In a subtle nod to the theme, the catering trays were vintage in style.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash

All the hors d'oeuvres from Mary Giuliani were bite-size, including the lobster club (pictured) and desserts such as the miniature white chocolate s'mores.

Photo: Jika González for BizBash