One-night-only performance of “Ballets Russes Italian Style” starring Lady Gaga and the Bolshoi Ballet choreographed by Italian performance artist Francesco Vezzoli hosted by Gala chairs Maria Arena Bell and Eli Broad, Honorary Gala Chairs Larry Gagosian (Gagosian Gallery) and Dasha Zhukova (Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow).
This event is so important because it’s the first time Los Angeles has had the correct set of art patrons, socialites and hosts to exemplify how performance art can bring regular art in to every day life. MOCA has assembled such a dream with 3 key ingredients it never had before: Francesco Vezzoli, Dasha Zhukova and Lady Gaga. Francesco Vezzoli, the most successful performance artist on Earth, is choreographing the entertainment – an outrageous preformance starring Lady Gaga and the Russian-based Bolshoi Ballet. Dasha Zhukova put art on the map in Moscow for young people, before moving to London last year to take over Pop Magazine and has been in and out of L.A. recently eating at Osteria Mozza and planning this event at MOCA. Even more key – she is an L.A. Native (went to Pacific Hills in West Hollywood). The fact that she is back doing this now – is the major event that is going to make the event this weekend change everything and is going to completely push art over the edge in L.A. And then ofcourse there is Lady Gaga, and well, you know. She is Lady Gaga.
But my friends – allow me to break it down for you step by step:
1a. The most important thing you need to know is the name “Francesco Vezzoli,”MOCA gala entertainment choreographer.
You may remember his recent internet sensation – a faux commercial about featuring Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams cat fighting in lingerie on the ground over a faux perfume bottle called “Greed”. This is NOT TO BE confused with Natalie Portman’s upcoming girl on girl sex scene with Mila Kunis. Separate issue.
Natalie Portman & Michelle Williams perform in “Greed” commercial
Watch it here:
1b. Francesco Vezzoli is capable of moving mass tides.
In March 2005, Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli directed and filmed a faux trailer for a non-existent remake of Gore Vidal’s Caligula. (Gore Vidal is an screenwriter, political activist and the stepbrother and confidant of Jacqueline Kennedy). The film debuted June 10, 2005 at the Venice Biennale 2005. He is capable of getting massively important people behind him for his art. Look at this credit list:
Directed by Francesco Vezzoli
Cast
Courtney Love … Caligula
Milla Jovovich …. Druscilla
Karen Black … Agrippina
Benicio Del Toro … Macro
Michelle Phillips … Messalina
Glenn Shadix … Claudius
Helen Mirren … Tiberia
Gore Vidal … himself
From Vogue UK website:
WHEN IN ROME WEAR VERSACE
Donatella Versace designed costumes for Courtney Love, Milla Jovovich, Benicio Del Toro and Helen Mirren for the trailer of a remake of Gore Vidal’s 1979 masterpiece, Caligula. The trailer, presented on Friday at the Pavillon at the Venice Biennale, is the result of a collaboration between Versace and artist Francesco Vezzoli who has attempted to create a hypothetical remake of what is one of the most controversial films of the last 30 years. As explosive as the original director Tinto Brass’ version, the new film will star Milla Jovovich as Drusilla, the sister with whom Caligula has a passionate affair, Del Toro as Macro and Mirren as Tiberia. It will also feature cameo appearances from Vidal himself and Adriana Asti, who starred in the original film. And Donatella was the perfect choice to dress them. “The challenge,” she said, “was to make the ancient Roman togas modern, rendering them more proportioned, sophisticated and sensual while still in tune with the times. I choose simple opaque jersey for the costumes and inserted the classic Versace symbols such as the medusa and the gold metal chain to give them that contemporary edge.”
Watch the trailer for a remake Gore Vidal’s Caligula (2005) here:
2. The second most important thing you need to know is the name “Dasha Zhukova,” MOCA gala co-host.
Dasha is the current reigning social Queen of the non-US territories. She is as well known as Paris Hilton or Beyonce in Moscow and London. She is currently pregnant with Roman Aboramavich’s baby – who is the wealthiest man in Russian and owns the world’s two largest yachts.
Dasha grew up in Los Angeles (Pacific Hills ’99) and moved to Russia and then London when she was tapped to edit Pop Magazine (think US weekly meets Rolling Stone). Dasha put herself on the map by turning an old bus station in Moscow into a gallery for modern art. It is called the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture (GCCC).
Dasha is in and out of L.A. all the time with the likes of Andrea Casiraghi (heir to throne in Monaco) and they eat at Mozza Ostera and the Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge. Dasha has a US-based clothing line called Kova & T.
The reason why Dasha co-hosting this event is so important is because she has a proven ability to penetrate the art world and make it exciting. She had NO background in art before she transformed the Garage. She had no experience with buying and collecting art before she recently started. The art world does not accept new-comers from Russia who are dating billionaires. But she is completely respected because her choices are impeccable.
IF Dasha returns to L.A. she will focus her energy on REDEFINING the art world for young people. Venice. Aside from street art – there is nothing at all interesting about the art culture in L.A. It’s boring and basically sucks. IF Dasha makes a move to focus her energies on Los Angeles once more, we will have an art culture BOOM OUT OF NOWHERE that will be on par with major film premieres, the Oscars, Laker’s play-off games, and other spectacular events L.A. is known for. Dasha also has a blog.
Celebrities wearing Kova & T:
November 6th, 2009 (Hollywood, CA)- Last week “New Moon” star Kristen Stewart wore the Kova & T “Audrey” cropped blazer while attending The Twilight Saga: New Moon cast tour
November 9th, 2009 (New York, NY)- Last night actress Demi Moore wore the Kova & T “Janet” tunic dress in black and gray to the 9th Annual 24 Hour Plays on Broadway
3. Listen how this all fits together:
The Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture (GCCC) has made possible the one-time preformance with Lady Gaga, the Bolshoi Ballet and Francesco Vezzoli (try to learn the name). Francesco Vezzoli is fabulous friends with Larry Gagosian. Larry was instrumental in helping Francesco pull off his elaborate hoax in London to lure patrons to his gallery to see the Eaux de Faux “Greed”.Dasha and Larry are friends because she now lives in London and helps the arts there.
4. Learn the term”gallerina,” loose the term, celebutante, and watch for Los Angeles’ new society Queens.
This is a photo from the last great MOCA party – the Louis Vuitton/Murakami collaboration. Where there are celerbities, there are more sponsors willing to pay for more placement which make the parties better for everyone. Muccia Prada is a friend of Francesco Vezzoli (again, try to learn the name). Muccia is well-known for collaborations with architects, designers, filmmakers, artists and photographers worldwide -even L.A. based celebrities and party promoters like her friend Amanda Demme, who often handle invites and guest lists for her store parties on Rodeo (look out for the Prada book launch on Rodeo this Friday). Muccia is friends with all the L.A. coolies and is often in Los Angeles. Ergo, MOCA now has a formula. A community of incredibly hip, chic, and famous artists, designers, celebrities, art buyers and gallerinas are about to POP in L.A.Collecting, understanding and being involved in art is about to become as important as it is for ALL Angelenos as it currently is for certain social sets in New York. I am not saying Maastricht will have to move to the L.A. Convention center – I’m calling a new era in art and the way it’s handled in mainstream living, as exemplified by celebrities, films, parties and society in Los Angeles.
5. Why you as an Angeleno should care and what you can do about it. Follow our blog. We will be tracking the progress of this and putting it into terms you can all understanding, connecting dots between people and explaining why certain things matter more than others.
More things to know about ”Francesco Vezzoli”.
1. Vezzoli has trademark tears. Watch for them in his art, or on French Vogue covers.
Photos for this post from Vogue, Wireimage, Bauer media and Kova & T.
Update: Nav. 15, 2009: We now have a report from the MOCA gala here
November 6th, 2009 (Hollywood, CA)- Last week “New Moon” star Kristen Stewart wore the Kova & T “Audrey” cropped blazer while attending The Twilight Saga: New Moon cast tour 
