The party for the opening of the Andy Warhol exhibition in IMMA on Wednesday could have been an exhibit in itself - if they'd cordoned it off and called it "Black With People". More than 1,800 people came along, a number exceeded only by the opening of the gallery itself back in 1991 (2,500 party-goers).
Among those spotted wandering among the soup cans and the Marilyns were the curator of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg, Mark Francis; the chairman of IMMA, Maurice Foley, with his wife Maire; art collector and board member Gordon Lambert; chairman of ACC Bank, who sponsored the event, Gary Joyce; and head of exhibitions at the prestigious Anthony d'Offay Gallery in London, Margot Heller.
Artists present included Patrick Scott; Stephen McKenna (who curated the last exhibition, The Pursuit of Painting); Clea van der Grijn; Rachel Joynt; and Fergus Kelly. Oliver Dowling was there from the Arts Council, Sheila Pratschke from the IFC, and Tony O Dalaigh from the Dublin Theatre Festival.
