Friday Fête: Tom Sachs’ Film Debut, The Art of Elysium’s HEAVEN Gala, and the Aspen Art Museum’s Annual Winter Benefit

In this edition of Friday Fête, Whitewall is giving you a recap of events with the Aspen Art Museum, The Art of Elysium, and Tom Sachs.

On December 28 in Colorado, the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) invited guests like Eleanore and Domenico De Sole, Larry Marx, Michael Rudin, and Marcy Edelstein for its annual winter benefit, this year themed The Next 2019. Sponsored by establishments like Aspen Skiing Company, The Aspen Times, and Frieze, the afternoon offered music by Timo Weiland, a silent auction, and a presentation of Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror installation Where the Lights in My Heart Go. Partygoers were treated to views of the snowy Aspen mountains from the museum’s roof deck sculpture garden, where they enjoyed sips by ROXOR Artisan Gin and bites like caviar from Pearl Street Caviar. The event came to conclusion with an afterparty by Cultured Magazine at the The Snow Lodge.

Courtesy of Tom Sachs.

Then, The Art of Elysium held its 13th annual HEAVEN black-tie GALA in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 4. Guests like Billy Idol, China Chow, Beau Dunn, Sasha Spielberg, Charlotte Tilbury, Jennifer Missoni, Dave Grohl, Ansel Elgort, and Brittany Furlan gathered for an evening of artistic experiences, hosted by co-chairs Stephanie Horton, Erica Reid, Stacey Sher, and Kerry Brown. In addition to honoring Ashley and Topher Grace with the 2020 Spirit of Elysium award, the fundraiser announced Linda Perry, Kii Arens, and Kerry Brown as the foundation’s annual visionaries. The event also featured special performances by artists like Grohl, St. Vincent, Marilyn Manson, Cheap Trick, and DJ Chris Holmes, as well as delicious fare by celebrity chef Eric Greenspan.

And earlier today, New York-based artist Tom Sachs debuted his latest film How to Learn to Surf. Shot in Bali, Indonesia under the direction of Van Neistat, the production includes a partnership with surf brand Hurley and follows the story of the Ten Bullets Surf Team in their challenging venture to becoming successful surfers.