Clowning Around

The Sculpture Center honors big-league artists at its winter gala every year: Last year it was Martin Puryear, before that Jeff Koons, and last night the Long Island City museum recognized Jenny Holzer, the installation artist known for her bold text illuminations on buildings and landscapes. Along with very subtle nods to Holzer's light works (tall cylinders filled with LEDs were substituted for both floral centerpieces and candlelight, and staffers wore small LED pins), the event featured a surprise performance that mixed things up a bit during dinner.Placed around the dinner space, three glass-mirror stands brought in for the event complemented the enormous mirrored-surface, suspended sculpture of Jeppe Hein, "360 Degree Illusion," already in place in the gallery. Performance-installation artist Xavier Cha (recently named one of the city's most promising young talents by New York magazine) created a light-hearted, voyeuristic work utilizing these three stands, which were actually two-way mirrors. During the first half hour of dinner, models trooped out to each pane and used the backside (a mirrored surface when illuminated from above) to put on makeup and go through the routine of dressing up as clowns. When done, each performer then wandered about the dinner tables a bit while a new model stepped up to each mirror to transform into a clown.

The center's executive director, Mary Ceruti, along with director of development and communications Katie Ferrell and special events assistant David Howe, produced the gala, which also marked the unveiling of Holzer's limited edition of silver spoons with the words "Money Creates Taste." The sale of the spoons (priced at $1,500 each) goes directly to the center's exhibition program—reminding us that money supports the arts, and that art generates money.