LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD

Madonna Gave Art Basel the Debauched, Celebrity-Drenched Concert Miami’s High Rollers Deserved

Madonna knows Art Basel’s moneyed rubberneckers want celebrity and glitz, so she gave them that and then some and walked away with $7.5 million for her charity of choice.

by Erik Maza

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Getty Images for Bulgari

“Spend, baby, spend,” Madonna urged. “Spend like there’s no tomorrow because there may not be a tomorrow.”

Madonna was on stage on Friday night at the Faena Forum in mid Miami Beach before a crowd comprised of boldfaced names far flung from different corners of the celebrity industry complex – Ariana Grande; Paris Hilton; Sean Combs; Jeremy Scott; Tracey Emin; the comics Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and James Corden; Alex Rodriguez, Madonna’s once-rumored boyfriend; Courtney Love, Madonna’s once-rumored nemesis; and Sean Penn, Madonna’s first husband – plus, art collectors and the sort of moneyed high-rollers who are ubiquitous in Miami on a regular basis but especially during Art Basel week.

“You gotta be rich to be here or f—king a rich guy,” Rock said. “Spend some of that extra Trump tax money you got.”

They were gathered because Madonna was auctioning off tchotchkes from her past – wedding pictures with Penn; a Scott costume from a recent tour; a Bulgari diamond necklace; pieces from her personal art collection – alongside perks like a poker session with Jonah Hill and Edward Norton to collect money for her charity Raising Malawi. More tantalizing for those here was the promise of an intimate concert following the fundraiser.

That Art Basel, a “social rat f—k” of celebrity and schmoozing – to borrow a phrase from Larry Gagosian, who’s known Madonna since she dated Jean-Michel Basquiat – should climax with one big conflagration of celebrity rubber-necking, socializing and lavish spending at the city’s most ostentatious property was almost too deliciously fitting.

Madonna, a savvy marketer and dealmaker in a town overflowing with them this week, of course knew that going in and so she gathered a group Rock described as the “steal wealth generation” all in one room and provoked, baited, titillated and then coaxed millions out of them. Regular tickets went for $5,000; access to a VIP cocktail cost $150,000.

Inside Madonna’s Tears of a Clown Concert in Miami

Madonna

Photo by Getty Images.
Getty Images for Bulgari

Ariana Grande

Photo by Getty Images.

Puff Daddy and Chris Rock

Photo by Getty Images.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – DECEMBER 02: Paris Hilton attends An Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to benefit Raising Malawi presented by Madonna at Faena Forum on December 2, 2016 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bulgari)

Getty Images for Bulgari

Jon Kortajarena and Sebastian Faena

Photo by Getty Images.

Sean Penn.

Photo by Getty Images.

Jeremy Scott and Jasmine Sanders

Photo by Getty Images.

Ryan McGinley

Photo by Getty Images.

David Banda and Madonna

Photo by Getty Images.

Madonna

Photo by Getty Images.

David Blaine.

Photo by Getty Images.

Maryna Linchuk and Adriana Lima.

Photo by Getty Images.

Paddle8 Co-Founder Alexander Gilkes and model Karolina Kurkova

Photo by Getty Images.

Alex Rodriguez

Photo by Getty Images.

Chris Rock and Courtney Love.

Photo by Getty Images.

James Corden

Photo by Getty Images.

Alan Faena

Photo by Getty Images.

Bethenny Frankel

Photo by Getty Images.
Getty Images for Bulgari
Getty Images for Bulgari
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Madonna twerked with Grande, who was wearing a Scott dress, triggering a flurry of Instagrams. She flirted with her ex-husband on stage – “I’m still in love with you; in fact, I think I love you more now that we’re divorced,” she told Penn – and agreed to be handcuffed by him, clearly having fun with the allegation that he abused her during their marriage and guaranteeing herself a slew of breathless tabloid coverage the next morning. She made fun of Lapo Elkann when auctioning off a special-edition Fiat 500 – “The car has been arrested along with his owner. These are rich people problems,” she said. She poked fun at herself, admitting “Dating is hard. It’s weird to think the love of your life might not even be born yet.” She got political, covering Britney Spears’ Toxic while Donald Trump’s image played in the background and later addressed the Standing Rock protest. In short, she worked the room.

Paris Hilton, Gucci Mane and Other Highlights from Art Basel Miami Beach Day 4

Paris Hilton and friends at the Dom Pérignon party at the Wall.

Whitney + Tiffany’s dinner after party, Cecconi’s at Soho House.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Gucci Mane, Keyshia Ka’oir, Vito Schnabel at the Dom Pérignon party at the Wall.

Guests at the Moschino party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Young Paris performing at the Moschino party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow at their Public School party at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

A guest at the Whitney Museum and Tiffany’s dinner at Cecconi’s at Soho House.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Whitney + Tiffany’s dinner after party, Cecconi’s at Soho House.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Guests at the Moschino party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Di Mondo at the Moschino party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Hayden Dunham at the Whitney Museum and Tiffany’s dinner at Cecconi’s at Soho House.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Samantha Boardman at the Dom Pérignon party at the Wall.

Jeremy Scott and Rose McGowan at the Moschino party at the Delano.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Moschino Takes Miami Party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Gucci Mane at the Dom Pérignon party at the Wall.

RJ King at the Public School dinner at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Guests at the Dom Pérignon party at the Wall.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Moschino Takes Miami Party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Public School x Radio, at the Confidante Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Whitney + Tiffany’s dinner after party, Cecconi’s at Soho House.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Moschino Takes Miami Party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Moschino Takes Miami Party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Moschino Takes Miami Party at the Delano Hotel.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.
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When at one point during the evening, a man who described himself as “Steve from Ireland” offered to donate $10,000 in exchange for a kiss and a selfie, Madonna asked no one in particular, “Is this guy loaded?” She’s not called the Material Girl for nothing.

And then, she performed a stripped down set of rarely-heard songs from her back catalog like American Life and Beautiful Stranger that was all but assured to send the room into collective fits of ecstasy. “I believe the most controversial thing I’ve ever done is stick around for 34 years and, if I want, I’ll stick around for 34 more years,” she said using an expletive.

In the end, she raised $7.5 million for a good cause, a pediatric hospital in the birthplace of two of her children. Not bad for a single night’s work.

The Best Party Pictures From Art Basel Miami Beach 2016

Photo by Emily Malan.

Madonna on stage during her Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to Benefit Raising Malawi.

Photo by Getty Images.

Anja Rubik, Anthony Vaccarello, Elodie Bouchez & Charlotte Gainsbourg at the YSL Desire Event.

Photo by Saskia Lawaks.

Faena Opening Party

Photo by Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

MoMA PS1 X Hood by Air Event.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Dior Lady Art Event.

Photo by Emily Malan.

Dom Perignon Event.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Dior Lady Art Event.

Photo by Emily Malan.

Dom Perignon Event.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Dior Lady Art Event.

Photo by Emily Malan.

Ariana Grande performs onstage during An Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to benefit Raising Malawi.

Photo by Getty Images.

Jeremy Scott Party.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

YSL Desire Event.

Photo by Saskia Lawaks.

Alex Katz X H&M Dinner.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Nelly Furtado at the Alex Katz X H&M Dinner.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Faena Opening Party

Photo by Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com

Dior Lady Art Event.

Photo by Emily Malan.

L’Eden by Perrier-Jouët’s Grand Opening Night

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

MoMA PS1 X Hood by Air Event.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Haas Brothers Event.

Photo by Emily Malan.

Public School X Radio Dinner.

Photo by Lexie Moreland.

Alex Rodriguez performs onstage during An Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to benefit Raising Malawi.

Photo by Getty Images.
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