She'd already trained for three hours earlier that day, but that didn't stop Peloton instructor Robin Arzón from hitting the dance floor in the cavernous lobby of the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan on Tuesday evening.
The event was the Art Party, the organization's second largest annual fundraiser hosted by a group of young supporters. Proceeds from the party benefit independent research programs that support emerging artists, curators, and critics.
Wearing neon green sequined blazers and pigtails, Ms. Arzón and her husband, Drew Butler, who wore complementary traffic-cone orange suits, stood out in a crowd that included designer Cynthia Rowley and reality star Olivia Palermo. Among other artists, influencers, fashion types, and downtown cool kids, there tended to be more subdued interpretations of the night's botanical theme. A floral minidress, a black strapless gown with pin-on flowers, and flower crowns blooming everywhere.
The plants in the upstairs 8th floor gallery were computer generated. Guests previewed “Harold Cohen: AARON,” an exhibition of paintings created using the first artificial intelligence art-making program developed by Cohen at the University of California, San Diego in the late 1960s. A live demo showed AARON's drawing process in action.
The artists attending the party were nervous about a future controlled by robots, but they didn't give up. “I don’t think it’s scary,” said Wes Gordon, creative director at Carolina Herrera. “I’m very good with pencils, scissors and fabric,” he added. But he suspects the technology “could make designers better designers.”
Fashion designer Bach Mai plans to debut AI-designed prints at his New York Fashion Week shows in February, but he's clearly aware of the limitations. “Human hands are still needed to make clothes,” he said, adding, “AI will always be a collection of information and will never be a creator.”
Creatives in attendance snacked and sipped from trays of wagyu caviar crostini, fried chicken sandwiches, and tequila in champagne flutes. Mocktails named after artists (hibiscus, honey, lemon, mint) were served at the large bar, such as Natalie Ball's “UNDAM the Klamath, The Salmon Are Coming Home!”
Nearby, Erin Lichy of 'The Real Housewives of New York' chatted with her husband, Abe. She was fresh from lunch in Lodi with her co-star Jenna Lyons. Ms. Lichy told Ms. Lyons that she should come back when her cast returns next season, she said. “Otherwise, who am I going to watch and like when things get weird?” She said.
Outside, slushy rain fell on Gansevoort Street, but the weather didn't deter partygoers. By 10:30, indie duo MGMT had taken full control of the DJ station and the 6,200-square-foot lobby was filled with hundreds of guests. Many of them seemed to agree with artist Ashley Longshore. “It’s New York, and this is the Whitney Museum of American Art. It couldn’t be bigger than that,” he said, adding, “Honey, if it weren’t for that, I’d be naked in bed with my dog right now.”
Katie Barnsicle contributed to the report.