We partied at the exclusive, sexy Hong Kong party with the art world's elite on a 62,000-square-foot floating restaurant - here's what it was like

Harrison Jacobs

Apr 14, 2018, 21:03 IST

We partied at the exclusive, sexy Hong Kong party with the art world's elite on a 62,000-square-foot floating restaurant - here's what it was like

Courtesy of LACMA

The star-studded party at Art Basel Hong Kong did not disappoint.

At Art Basel Hong Kong this year, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art held an exclusive, star-studded party to celebrate its presence at the premier art fair in Asia.
The event was held at Hong Kong's Jumbo Kingdom, the world's largest floating restaurant, and featured an elaborate 1930s theme and storyline centered around the disappearance of the character Scarlett Li.
I attended the party, which was full of stunning visuals, a brass funk band, classic dim sum appetizers, and impromptu performances from dancers and actors.

Imagine Hong Kong in 1931 - the British still dominated the island, one of the few free ports in the world at the time. The alleys are lined with opium bars and courtesans and everyone dresses like Dean Martin or Suzie Wong.

That's the world the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) sought to conjure up at its most recent soiree celebrating the museum's presence at this year's Art Basel Hong Kong, the premier art fair in Asia for millionaire and billionaire collectors to buy and sell art.

LACMA has been working in recent years to become the authority on both classic and contemporary Chinese art, in an effort to become the "bridge between technology, entertainment, and culture in the United States and China."

LACMA's "In the Mood for LACMA: The Story of the Elusive Scarlett Li" party featured an elaborate theme and story centered around the disappearance of "the most legendary madam of the West Coast."

The star-studded event, held at Hong Kong's Jumbo Kingdom, the world's largest floating restaurant, featured a mix of celebrities, art world big shots, artists, collectors, and - thanks to a last minute invite - yours truly.

I attended to get an inside look at one of this year's most exclusive parties. It did not disappoint.

The party was located at the Jumbo Kingdom, a 62,000-square-foot floating restaurant off Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbour. The restaurant, the largest of its kind, has long been an iconic part of the city frequented by celebrities, royalty, and politicians.

We were told to arrive on time, lest we miss "part of the odyssey," which promised to include period decorations and performances evoking the mysterious story of Scarlett Li. I must admit we arrived late. But from the line out front, it looked like we weren't the only ones.

To get to the restaurant, you have to take a ferry that looks like something out of a Hollywood Golden Age vision of Hong Kong. It fit the theme, which called for party attire that combined "old Hollywood glamour juxtaposed with Hong Kong heritage."

The party's experiential theme was designed by Burning Man veteran Jason Swamy, a co-founder of artist collective Robot Heart. It kicked off as soon as you got on the ferry. Two Cockney-accented actors swigged a flask while relaying the story of Scarlett Li, who in the party's narrative "became the most legendary madam" of Los Angeles before mysteriously disappearing.

Jumbo Kingdom came into view as the actors finished their performance. The partygoers applauded as we docked. A few were dressed in 1930s-era outfits evoking the party's theme — mostly an opportunity for the women to wear qipaos.

The event was hosted by Princess Alia Al-Senussi and Hong Kong entrepreneur Dino Sadhwani. Al-Senussi is a major figure in the art and philanthropy worlds. Her family ruled Libya before being overthrown by Muammar Gaddafi.

At the entrance to the restaurant, there was a Hollywood-esque red carpet area for photos. I was hilariously underdressed (Uniqlo oxford shirt, blue chinos). Famous Chinese-American actress Bai Ling, like most of the fashionable crowd, was not underdressed.

The party's theme had callbacks to the seminal Hong Kong film "In The Mood For Love," by Wong Kar-Wai. The film's color scheme was heavily dominated by a deep red, like this wall.

The wall featured hands that caressed you as you stood next to it (I could not figure out if they were puppets or real people's hands). It made for striking photos, like this one of Hans-Ulrich Obrist, one of the most influential curators in the modern art world.

A ballroom stairway carried party-goers to the main party room. But first you had to pass through a curtain of Chinese lanterns.

The party was at critical mass by the time we arrived. The art world is a small one where social events are as much a part of work as anything else. Curators, gallery owners, artists, and collectors (i.e. very wealthy people) were schmoozing, hobnobbing, and rubbing shoulders.

The party was, of course, open bar. I grabbed a couple of drinks for myself and my date and clinked glasses to what we hoped would be a wild night.

The party was dotted with musicians, actors and actresses, and dancers. Impromptu performances started in the middle of the crowd or, sometimes, on elaborately decorated set-pieces like this one that evoked the 1930s-era theme.

The theme wasn't loved by everyone. I heard from a few attendees that the focus on Scarlet Li (who was played by an actress staring intensely from a box on a pedestal) and the allusions to opium bars and Asian courtesans struck as tone-deaf. "This would never fly in L.A.," an art-book publisher told me.

After about an hour, the party opened up into the adjacent banquet hall, where partygoers started to get their dance on. The restaurant began serving Cantonese hors d'oeuvres. As Jumbo is famous for its dim-sum, the food did not disappoint.

My date and I snagged one of the banquet tables, where we met a businesswoman from the Philippines. "Be careful of that term" she said with a laugh when I asked her if she was an art collector. "These days, all you need is two pieces of art and, boom, you're a collector."

New York-based brass band Lucky Chops blew open the party with a feverish performance of horn-inflected funk and jazz. Whoever wasn't filming the performance for social media was surely dancing to the grooves.

The wall along the banquet hall was creatively redone with windows and curtains that added a mischievous character to the event. A mustachioed dilettante might pop out with a set of binoculars or a disembodied hand might hand you a glass of champagne.

The wall acted as a kind of stage for sensual and risqué dances from the party's team of performers.

The party was a who's who of the rich, famous, and connected in Hong Kong. Princess Alia Al-Senussi stands here with Edward Tang, the son of Sir David Tang, the late founder of the Shanghai Tang fashion brand. As well as Jonathan Cheung, the co-founder of Buzz Agency, and Veronica Chou, a fashion entrepreneur and the daughter of billionaire Silas Chou.

The party was a who's who of the rich, famous, and connected in Hong Kong. Princess Alia Al-Senussi stands here with Edward Tang, the son of Sir David Tang, the late founder of the Shanghai Tang fashion brand. As well as Jonathan Cheung, the co-founder of Buzz Agency, and Veronica Chou, a fashion entrepreneur and the daughter of billionaire Silas Chou.

After Lucky Chops finished their set, the Cockney-accented actors returned to corral the partygoers up to the roof with a skit on the whereabouts of Scarlett Li and her estranged husband Dean Lizard.

I never did see Scarlett Li again that night, but there was a happening dance floor and more (more!) drinks upstairs.

In a small gazebo on the roof, a mixologist was making cocktails themed to the night. Behind him, two costumed actors improv-ed a performance about Dean Lizard, who, in the party's mystery, lost his mind.

The DJ upstairs was playing a tasty mix of mostly trance and house music. Swamy's Robot Heart outfit is well known in Burning Man circles for crazy DJ sets. The DJ he selected for the LACMA party did not disappoint.

To give you a flavor of the crowd, I'll relay an anecdote: While in the bathroom, a well-dressed attendee picked out the exact brand and model of my boots (not easy since they are a niche Italian brand). He then smiled, "Great boots, but not right I think for this occasion."

To give you a flavor of the crowd, I'll relay an anecdote: While in the bathroom, a well-dressed attendee picked out the exact brand and model of my boots (not easy since they are a niche Italian brand). He then smiled, "Great boots, but not right I think for this occasion."