On April 23, the Art Gallery of Ontario (A.G.O.) hosted a sold-out crowd of 1,900 guests for its 11th annual Massive Party. A fund-raiser for the museum, this yearโs event had the theme โHotbedโ and drew inspiration from current A.G.O. exhibition "Jean-Michel Basquait: Nowโs the Time," a collection of almost 85 large-scale paintings and drawings inspired by abstract expressionism as well as jazz, sports, comics, and graffiti.
โโHotbed reflects upon the microcosm of Basquiatโs era by showcasing Toronto artists who are making their individual marks both in the city and internationally,โ said Adrienne Maniezzo, the galleryโs manager of development and special events, who worked with co-chairs George Barkas, Rob Drynan, and Anais Granofsky, as well as new artistic director Talwst, to create the event.
Upon arrival guests saw unique, interactive art installations, including a giant insect sculpture at the partyโs entrance. Attendees were guided through the artistic wonderland by printed programs that contained artist and showcase information. A variety of installations took over the space, including Virgil Baruchelโs "YouCantSeeUsButWeCanSeeYou," which included fabric that camouflaged guests, and Chloe Wiseโs "HotbedandBreakfast," which poked fun at food and the eventโs theme. And, of course, "Jean-Michel Basquait: Nowโs the Time" was at the heart of the event.
โBasquait just felt like a really good fit for this yearโs party,โ said Maniezzo. โWe worked with Talwst to help us develop the theme and create an event that really played well alongside the exhibition. Massive Party is an art party, so it is important that partygoers leave feeling they engaged in contemporary art; hopefully guests became acquainted with the work of emerging artists.โ
The party exceeded its fund-raising goal of $300,000.