Gucci LACMA Art + Film Gala 2023 Honorees Set
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This year’s Gucci-sponsored LACMA Art + Film gala will honor two cultural giants: music video, TV and film director David Fincher and Los Angeles public art pioneer Judy Baca.
Known for his neo-noir influences, fascination with sinister themes and perfectionist working style, Fincher got his start in music videos in the late 1980s and early ’90s, directing Madonna’s “Express Yourself” and “Vogue,” before making his film directorial debut with “Alien 3” (1992), soon followed by the critically acclaimed “Seven” (1995), “Fight Club” (1999) and “Zodiac” (2007).
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He received best director nominations at the Academy Awards for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008) and “The Social Network” (2010). He also directed “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (2011) and “Gone Girl” (2014), Netflix series “House of Cards” and “Mindhunter.”
Baca has been creating public art for four decades, founding the City of Los Angeles’ first mural program, which produced more than 400 murals and evolved into the Social and Public Art Resource Center, with a digital lab at UCLA now using technology to promote social justice through digital art.
Her works focus on connecting diverse communities, and harnessing people to co-create “sites of public memory” reflecting the lives of historically disenfranchised peoples, including women, immigrants and the working poor. Her best-known work is the Great Wall of Los Angeles, spanning half a mile in the San Fernando Valley and still a work in progress engaging multiple generations of youth. In 2017, the mural was named to the National Registry of Historic Places.
New work by Baca will be presented in an exhibition at LACMA opening in the fall.
“Judy Baca is one of the most important American artists working today. Drawing inspiration from her hometown of Los Angeles, Baca gives permanence to local histories through her monumental artworks, such as The Great Wall of Los Angeles. We are thrilled to honor Judy for her achievements, for her commitment to public art, and for her impact in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond,” Michael Govan, LACMA chief executive officer and Wallis Annenberg director, said in a statement. “Through his award-winning films, David Fincher tells compelling stories and sheds light on human psychology. His unique vision pulls audiences deeper into his cinematic world. We look forward to honoring Judy and David this November and celebrating the important role that art and film plays in telling human stories.”
The 12th annual event will be co-chaired by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio and supported by Gucci on Nov. 4 in L.A.
Gucci’s new creative director Sabato de Sarno will present his first collection for the house in September during Milan Fashion Week. Brand representatives could not confirm if he would travel to L.A. for the LACMA event, which has traditionally been attended by his predecessor Alessandro Michele.
The house will continue to host several tables of celebrity guests and friends for the gala, who presumably will be dressed out of the ultra-luxe Gucci Salon store that debuted in L.A. on Melrose Place in April.
“We look forward to celebrating Judy Baca and David Fincher’s careers and accomplishments at this year’s Art + Film Gala,” said gala co-chair Chow. “Since the inception of this event, Gucci has been our longstanding partner and we’re grateful for their continued support.”
Proceeds from the annual Art + Film Gala help underwrite film programming initiatives at the museum, which is in the midst of constructing a new $750 million building — the David Geffen Galleries — designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor with a projected late 2024 completion.
The 2022 Art + Film Gala, honoring California Light and Space movement artist Helen Pashgian and South Korean director Park Chan-wook, featured a performance by Elton John and raised more than $5 million. The crowd included Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford, Olivia Wilde, Jared Leto, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Maneskin, Blackpink’s Rosé, Jodie Turner-Smith, Julia Garner, Catherine Opie, Mark Bradford, Idris Elba, Andrew Garfield, George Clinton and many more.
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