For art's sake

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a gala on November 14 a night that celebrated celebrity and its magnetic power as much as MOCA's breathtaking permanent collection, displayed in the museum's biggest exhibition to date.

The mood was festive, with more than a hint of self-consciousness at the black-tie soiree, which drew more than 1,000 for a reception, sneak preview and a sit-down dinner, raising more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8 million) for MOCA.

The highlight of the evening was a five-minute production created by video artist Francesco Vezzoli called Ballet Russes Italian Style, which involved pop princess Lady Gaga performing her new song, Speechless, on a rotating pink grand piano painted with blue butterflies by Damien Hirst.

Gaga sang a soulful love ballad with husky self-assurance while dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet moved with graceful, sweeping gestures. The costumes, including Gaga's Frank Gehry-designed hat and the dancers' Vezzoli and Miuccia Prada-designed outfits, were to be auctioned later online. But the piano sold for $450,000 (Dh1.6 million) at the end of the show while the Price Is Right theme played.

It was a fitting crowning event for an evening that began with the who's who of the art world, including Takashi Murakami and John Baldessari mingling with famous faces such as Christina Ricci, Gwen Stefani and James Franco.