Sylvester Stallone and Galerie Gmurzynska Honored at Versace’s Former Mansion

Leonardo DiCaprio was there, of course.

Sylvester Stallone, Mike Heller. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

On the evening before Art Basel’s VIP opening, the art world elite gathered at the former Miami Beach mansion of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace to celebrate Galerie Gmurzynska, whose Germano Celant-curated booth opens today. The crowd also toasted to actor, art collector, and painter Sylvester Stallone, who had a show at the Galerie Contemporaine du MusĂ©e de Nice in France, and once called Versace his friend.

“It’s our 50th anniversary, so we’re celebrating that, as well as Sylvester’s work and, of course, the friendship that he had with Versace,” said Galerie Gmurzynska CEO Mathias Rastorfer. “After Rocky, he lived in Miami for a long time, he collected Frances Bacon, even Monets—everything from Impressionism to contemporary, and he and Versace were close friends.”

But Stallone’s art bona fides are not always acknowledged, even by Hollywood enthusiasts.

“He’s actually very shy about it,” admitted Rastorfer.

The evening had no shortage of star power. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Stallone chatted intensely in a corner of the lounge, globetrotting art world duo Eva and Adele made an appearance dressed in candy-colored orange dresses. The event also featured nude Monte Carlo-style showgirls—decked out in gold paint and glitter—performing inside giant hoops above the crowd.

As Miami celebrations are often wont to do, the party had the potential to go late night. However, many attendees had to be at the fair early this morning, where the gallery’s salon-style collaboration with Celant will be on view adjacent to the main entrance, featuring everyone from fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld to artist Robert Indiana.

“To represent 50 years of anything is huge,” Celant said. “It’s kind of like an avalanche—something that you cannot control. It’s a combination of all the possible relationships—from present to past, but also between the artworks themselves.”

See images from the evening below.

Mathias Rastorfer, Isabelle Bscher, Jennifer Flavin Stallone, Sylvester Stallone, Krystyna Gmurzynska, Lucas Bscher. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Mathias Rastorfer, Isabelle Bscher, Jennifer Flavin Stallone, Sylvester Stallone, Krystyna Gmurzynska, Lucas Bscher.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Scottie Pippen. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Scottie Pippen.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Isabelle Bscher, Lucas Bscher. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Isabelle Bscher, Lucas Bscher.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Anetta Fierer, Deirdre Malone. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Anetta Fierer, Deirdre Malone.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Princess Michael of Kent. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Princess Michael of Kent.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Eva and Adelle. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Eva and Adele.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Bart Hoover, Isabelle Bscher. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Bart Hoover, Isabelle Bscher.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Maria Brito. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Maria Brito.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Noreen Ahmad, Antwaun Sargent, JiaJia Fei. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Noreen Ahmad, Antwaun Sargent, JiaJia Fei.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Christina Getty. Photo: Patrick McMullan.

Christina Getty.
Photo: Patrick McMullan.


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