The Venice Biennale’s three-day VIP preview began Wednesday, kicking off a raft of ritzy parties along the canals. French luxury -goods mogul François Pinault threw a lavish party celebrating his shows at Venice’s Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi that brought out guests including his son François-Henri and daughter-in-law Salma Hayek, Leonardo DiCaprio and his wing man Lukas Haas, Damien Hirst, Larry Gagosian, Jean Pigozzi and Goga Ashkenazi. Meanwhile, Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli’s Fondazione Prada hosted an earlier lunch reception for guests including Hirst, starchitect Rem Koolhaas and Jeffrey Deitch. On the other end of the spectrum, artist-to-the-stars Domingo Zapata sold more than $1 million at a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” show of paintings, mosaics and bullfighting jackets. Blaine Trump and Francesco Missoni were the first two guests to snap up jackets, which had all been worn by famous matadors, and we hear Francesco plans to surprise his father, Marco Maccapani, with the work as a birthday gift. Guests included Teresa Missoni, Barbara Berlusconi, Camilla Cipriani and Francesca Versace. Pinault has had a triumphant Venice after suffering an art world setback before the Biennale when a controversial public sculpture he commissioned was removed by the city to be replaced with a reproduction of an old lamppost.
Lavish bashes at Venice Biennale for Salma Hayek, Leonardo DiCaprio
