Water Mill - The 16th Annual Watermill Summer Benefit was held on Saturday, July 25, and brought together the worlds of theater, art, fashion, design and society for an evening "Inferno."

Fire swallowing 'devil' took everyone's breath away.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the evening included cocktails, a silent auction, performances, and art installations, followed by dinner, dancing and a live auction hosted by auctioneer Simon de Pury. The dress code this year was "Flaming," and many attendees sported impish and devilish horns, tails, red outfits and flaming enthusiasm for the Center.

Benefit artists and residents from 26 different countries were participants this year, including the Riverbed Theater, En Tzu Chang, Jam Wu, Shun Chu Chen, Chinen Jung Lin, Yung-Hsien Chen and Chu-Wang Chou from Taiwan, Sue de Beer and C Ryder Cooley from the U.S., Yourgos Souremellis and Stephanos Droussiotis from Greece, Yochai Matos from Israel and Sophia Jones from the UK.

The artists presented over 10 installations and performances that each interpreted this year's theme and brought guests closer to 'Inferno.' Dance music was spun by celebrated DJs "A Touch of Class" after the auction, a special aerial performance by Watermill resident artist C Ryder Cooley was scheduled to be held in the dining tent. Fire performances by Todd Robbins held guests spellbound.

Aziz Friedrich, Duha Friedrich and Honorary Chair member Christophe de Menil enjoy the evening.

Honorary Chairs of the evening's event included Marina Abramovic, Pedro Almodovar, Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed, Iman and David Bowie, Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits, Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Bob Colacello, Alan Cumming, Merce Cunningham, Willem Dafoe, Christophe de Menil, Philippine de Rothschild, Marianne Faithfull, Carrie Fisher, Frank Gehry, Philip Glass, Nan Goldin, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Bianca Jagger, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Koons, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Meier, Jessye Norman, Zac Posen, Charlotte Rampling, Isabella Rossellini, Viktor & Rolf, Dita von Teese and Rufus Wainwright.

LongHouse Reserve founder Jack Lenor Larsen surveys the performance artists on view.

Benefit Chairs included Lisa Anastos, Wallis Annenberg, Susan Baker and Michael Lynch, Katharina Otto-Bernstein and Nathan Bernstein, Giancarla and Luciano Berti, Bettina and Franz Burda, Christine Wächter-Campbell and William I. Campbell, Lisa de Kooning, Adelaide de Menil and Ted Carpenter, Roger Ferris, Barbara Goldsmith, Calvin Klein, Klever Holdings, Dorothy Lichtenstein, The Honorable and Mrs. Earle I. Mack, Lisa and Richard Perry, Katharine and William Rayner, Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein and Leila and Melville Straus.

During cocktails, guests were treated to a large tent filled with silent auction works of art, as well as entertained by the various performance artists and installations, making for an evening of charged creativity and establishing an involvment with both the works on view, as well as the performance pieces. Given the vastness of the grounds an immediate sense of intimacy was nonetheless evident in the hushed tones and quiet viewership among the guests.

The live auction highlights were works by Rita Ackermann, Kristin Baker, Ross Bleckner, Monica Bonvicini, Kathe Burkhart, Bruce Conner, Sue de Beer, Willem de Kooning, Jan Fabre, Barnaby Furnas, Douglas Gordon, Mary Heilmann, Andreas Hofer, Roni Horn, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, William Kentridge, Anselm Kiefer, Martin Kippenberger, Terence Koh, Oleg Kulik, Joseph LaPiana, Sol Lewitt, Peter Lindbergh, Robert Mapplethorpe, Dennis Oppenheim, Izhar Patkin, Enoc Perez, Elizabeth Peyton, Rob Pruitt, Neo Rauch, Amanda Ross-Ho, Mika Rottenberg, Sterling Ruby, Ed Ruscha, Fred Sandback, Andres Serrano, Gary Simmons, Dirk Skreber, Dash Snow, Ena Swansea, Tal R., Sam Taylor-Wood, Bill Viola, Andy Warhol, John Waters, Carrie Mae Weems, Garth Weiser, and Robert Wilson.

Robin Leacock, Jeffrey Silver and Countess Luann de Lesseps expressed their appreciation for the evening's events.

As this is the 16th year the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Center has hosted this benefit, it is both refreshing and rewarding that the Center consistently makes each year's event a treat for the senses. Works on view and performance pieces never seem to disappoint or become redundant, and given the current economy, the Center appeared mindful of both quality and affordability of pieces available for sale, providing another bravo year for those who desired to get close to the flames, but not burned.

Catching a moment with the always pleasant Rufus Wainwright, he expressed his excitement at not only this evening's events, but his future performances at both the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (Aug. 8), and at the Center with Norah Jones and Martha Wainwright (Aug. 29).

The Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation extended thanks to LVMH for their support. Drinks were provided by Château Mouton Rothschild, Bacardi, Peroni, and Voss Water. Gift bag products were provided by David Babaii for WildAid, Essie Cosmetics, Bell'Invito, SoleMates, Simone Pérèle premium soy lily scented candles, and Tamara Comolli Fine Jewelry.

Sir Ivan Wilzig (center) with as one guest quipped "two flaming hot ladies" was all smiles.