On Wednesday evening, De Beers kicked off Frieze New York by inviting VIP guests on a journey. One that kicked off in Frieze London, and had travelled to New Delhi before landing on the eighth floor of The Shed in Manhattan.
The brand is highlighting the “mythical origins” of diamonds through an immersive installation, on view for the duration of the art fair.
“ The idea is to shine a new light on diamonds, and in particular to highlight their relationship to art,” said Lynn Serfaty, general manager of Natural Diamonds at De Beers Group, of the exhibition. “There has been a kind of standardization of the way we see diamonds. And it’s very important that we are able to retell the story, in a sense that allows you to rediscover their beauty.”
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The room and exhibition were rooted in vibrant yellow and orange hues, reflective of the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, believed to be the birthplace of modern humankind. Ostrich egg beads and raw river-mined diamonds from Namibia, set within a coiled serpent, were displayed on a wall in the center of the room. Behind the wall in a darkened room, guests were taking in a looped screening of “Daughters of the Dust,” a poetic exploration of creation myths and diamonds as storytellers.
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“ For us diamonds — yes, are a luxury product — but for Botswana, diamonds are our livelihoods. They power our health care; our education is provided by diamonds,” said Wanetsha Mosinyi, social investment and sustainability manager at De Beers Group. “I’m proud for us to be able to share our story with the world.”
Guests including Ciara, Julia Fox, Quil Lemons, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne stopped by throughout the evening as the first day of the fair began to wind down. Nearby a glass wall that overlooked the second floor of exhibiting galleries, Sharon Stone was sharing photos of her own paintings with Frieze executive Simon Fox. “ A lot of my work has a bit of a surrealistic quality to it,” said Stone, whose recent subjects have included a depiction of Mother Nature, political turmoil, and a portrait of a young man. “ It was a Mother’s Day gift for his mom, who had just survived breast cancer,” she added.
The artist-actress landed at Frieze by way of the De Beers exhibition, and was wearing multiple diamond pieces designed by Martin Katz, who famously accessorized Stone for the 1992 premiere of “Basic Instinct.”
“ Sharon basically was the first person Martin Katz dressed for the red carpet, before anyone else was doing diamonds,” said Sally Morrison, Natural Diamonds Lead for De Beers in the U.S. and a longtime friend of Stone.
“ He made my first pair of diamond studs, and they were so large that when they came to my house, I was like, ‘these are too big.” And so he gave them to his wife. And made me a slightly smaller pair,” said Stone. “ I don’t know what I was thinking at the time. Because now, they could be the size of Saturn, and I would wear them.”
After the reception at Frieze, the crowd decamped a few blocks east for a celebratory dinner at Markette. The second stop of featured a second video art installation, unveiled in the restaurant’s lower level for after-dinner drinks and dessert.
“Matter of Eternity,” projected on the wall and ceiling, was created by Nasir Dean, son of Swizz Beatz. The installation marks the recent launch of his company Dreamcore, which creates immersive entertainment experiences. “We’re about to take the world by storm,” he said. (Next up: Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.)
“ My inspiration was the essence of natural diamonds, and how pivotal they are to us — not only in jewelry, but on a cosmic scale,” said Dean of his installation, which depicted various bioforms — including a zebra, Botswana’s national animal — encrusted in diamonds. “All of them are representing how diamonds are a part of our universe, and how they’re basically alive,” added Dean, who was wearing several diamond pieces, including a ring featuring a Desert Diamond, for the occasion.
“Diamonds have been around for thousands of years, and we wear them on our skin. And I just find that to be absolutely phenomenal,” he added, before heading back upstairs for dinner, where he was joined by his father. “ You see the essence of diamonds in so many things that we look at.”