Art + Film

On Saturday night, the worlds of art, fashion, and film descended on LACMA for the museum’s fourth annual Art+Film gala, this year honoring Barbara Kruger and Quentin Tarantino, and drumming up $3.85 million for the museum. The event’s co-chairs Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio were joined by some 600 dazzling guests, including Salma Hayak Pinault, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, Cara Delevingne, Jamie Foxx, and Larry Gagosian, who threaded through the lampposts of Chris Burden’s Urban Light installation on Wilshire Boulevard before advancing to an imposing dinner pavilion awash in red light and roses. “The honorees set the tone for each year,” offered Chow, about the mood—and ominous décor—for the evening, “it’s a bit edgier this year. To me, Quentin is very blood red and white, and Barbara’s actual work is mostly blood red and white.” In lieu of gory Halloween costumes, however, the evening’s uniform of choice was Gucci, thanks to host committee chair Frida Giannini, Gucci’s Creative Director.

Notoriously reticent when it comes to public accolades like this, Barbara Kruger was witty and generous in her speech, giving thanks to LACMA director Michael Govan, for honoring her “even though he knew that it would kind of freak me out, for sure.” “I’m proud to be a brick in your wall,” said Tarantino, when he took the mike. The ensuing musical act was not Pink Floyd but Culture Club, performing in the States for the first time in fourteen years. As Boy George’s oversized bowler hat bobbed along to classics like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” worlds certainly collided.