On December 4th, in the midst of the buzz and excitement of Art Basel Miami, The Museum of Contemporary Art hosted a celebratory dinner at GAO with MOCA board members and art world luminaries Philippe Browning, Corinne & Laurent Opman, and Vida Yaghmai & Kourosh Gohar. The MOCA hosted its Art Week reception on Tuesday, but remains open for extended hours throughout the entirety of Art Basel Miami week. The dinner was presented beautifully, with gold cutlery in a warmly lit room, crafting an intimate feel that captures the soft sentiment of the art world, and the tenderness of its guests. 

GAO, adorned with nostalgic and emotive decor, was the perfect setting for an event of this theme. On each table, mini bonsai trees added complexity to the room’s narrative, and coincidentally furthered the commitment to art. Guests engaged intellectually, creatively, and personally, in the spirit of the art world.

The dinner began with an array of appetizers: spicy salmon tartare crispy rice, traditional crispy spring rolls, and cabbage and kale salad. The selections rang strongly of its Miami beach influence, setting the scene for the first course. Guests then indulged in shrimp pad thai or beef and noodle harmony, the aroma of cultural significance floating through the venue. For the second course, sizzling beef satay and salmon sesame crust. 

The evening unfolded, the air thick with connection and the residual smell of warm rice. Culture and culinary intertwined, and The Museum of Contemporary showed yet again how enjoyment of the human experience is in itself, a work of art. 

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