Alex Prager Reimagined Hollywood For Capital One’s Art Basel Party

Every December, celebrities and creatives migrate down to Miami for Art Basel to enjoy the best galleries, artwork, and installations that the city has to offer, all before showing face at the hottest parties in town. This year, the place to be on Thursday evening was Capital One and The Cultivist’s joint party honoring Alex Prager’s immersive installation, The Mirage Factory.

Prager is well-known in the art world for blurring the lines of reality and artifice, and her most recent installation is no exception. The cognitive dissonance began as soon as attendees walked through the door, where they were instantly transported out of Miami and into Prager’s surrealist interpretation of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Inside, partygoers grabbed a martini from the bar before taking in the “sights,” which consisted of a miniature replica of Hollywood Boulevard — complete with a nod to Frederick's Of Hollywood, obviously — an ombre’d sunset backdrop, a pasture of artificial orange grove trees, and a scenic backyard lit by the glow of Griffith Park.

The party was co-hosted by W Magazine, which means the guest list was overflowing with A-list talent, with celebs like Giveon, Justine Skye, Janelle Monáe, Lori Harvey, Damson Idris, Chance The Rapper, Alana and Este Haim, Kesha, Quavo, Ashtin Earle, and Evan Mock all stopping by to admire the installation. In lieu of a typical step-and-repeat, guests posed for a photo-op in front of a retro pink building adorned with billboards for Capital One, The Cultivist, and Alex Prager’s Mirage Factory.

Once everyone got their photo taken in the pink Porsche (conveniently located in front of the Hollywoodland sign), spectators were treated to an intimate performance from Ellie Goulding, where she performed a suite of her greatest hits including “Burn,” “Love Me Like You Do,” “Outside,” and “Still Falling For You.”

The event may have taken place in Miami, but the evening was one big love letter to Los Angeles.