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Seeing Things: Nancy Gonzalez TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art at Sotheby’s

Nancy Gonzalez CEO Santiago Barberi Gonzalez commissioned ten world-class contemporary artists to create works out of the brand’s crocodile Leaf Tote, in partnership with TWO x TWO, the noted Dallas based organization behind the annual TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art, an annual contemporary art auction held in the Richard Meier-designed Rachofsky House in Dallas, benefiting two organizations—amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art. Artists include Raqib Shaw, Jenny Holzer, Lawrence Weiner, Will Cotton, Josephine Meckseper, Richard Phillips, Kaws, Jim Hodges, Dr. Lakra and Mickalene Thomas. Sotheby’s held a preview during New York Fashion Week, attracting an exciting mix of art-world influencers and fashion insiders.

All handbag photos above are by Naoya Fujishiro and Akihiro Sakai.

Neiman Marcus is the presenting sponsor of TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art, and helped merge the forces of Santiago and Nancy Gonzalez with art philanthropists Howard and Cindy Rachofsky. We captured this moment between Santiago and Cindy in New York, as they reflected on their project. 

NM: How did this all start?

CR: Santiago was in Dallas on business and Jim Gold [NM president of stores] called and asked, could I bring a vendor?

SG: A vendor?! That’s so tacky! [Laughing.]

CR: “He’s Nancy’s son and he’s a contemporary art collector, and I’d love for him to meet you and see your house and your collection.” Well, it was just an immediate romance and bromance. Santiago offered bags, and I said, let’s ask artists. Well that’s all he had to hear. He and our chairman Amy Phelan called every artist they have a relationship with and those artists said yes within days.

SG: Then we had to turn down people! Because everyone said yes.

NM: How did you identify the artists you wanted?

SG: There’s a difference between good artists and great artists. Sometimes it’s not the inspiration or the brilliance. There are brilliant ideas and brilliant execution. Great artists brilliantly execute things because they are professional artists. We knew they would deliver, and on time, because these are very serious people. And we have people for a variety of tastes.

CR: For example, you’ve got senior, senior artists like Lawrence Weiner and Jenny Holzer. And then you’ve got young, hip artists that really are part of a downtown culture like Kaws and Dr. Lakra. And then you’e got sculptors like Will Cotton who bases his off of sculpture. And Jim Hodges who said, “You know, I don’t believe painting on a bag is art, but what I would like to do is make art and put it in the bag, because I believe in the event and the mission and I want to participate in my way.”

SG: Jenny Holzer also said, “I want to intervene inside; I don’t want my work on top of a bag.” She wanted a repeat of a phrase.  I think she accepted because I own the bench that says that phrase.  Kaws is a young guy, but he had a solo show at The Modern in Fort Worth. These are all important artists. Raqib Shaw? We are all going to be eating out of his hand in five years because his work has so many layers. If this thing was on canvas, I’m telling you, it would be £ 250,000.  There’s a triptych everybody wants that he’s been working on for four years.  Lawrence Weiner. Again, this is a particular person. He accepted if we would use a piece that’s owned by the Phelans, Amy and John. I collect Lawrence Weiner and what you get is a little certificate in a vector file.  So the work is for your safekeeping. And if you break the rules, he can take the certificate back. He approved this as if it was going to an exhibition. So whoever gets this bag is getting a permanent exhibition of a Lawrence Weiner work, to carry around on a crocodile bag!

CR: Well it’s been a wonderful experience, and the best part is that we’ve made a friend forever. I’m so grateful to Jim Gold for bringing “a vendor” over.

SG: Jim knows what he’s doing. This was personal on so many different levels. Number one, meeting you and Howard. Number two, for three years I only had two clients, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. So this was a way of giving back to a community that had embraced me. And I was tremendously moved by the level of philanthropy in Dallas. First of all, tremendously moved by the collections, because the level of sophistication is something that nobody in the world would imagine. I almost fell when I saw it. But then the fact that the collection had been given to the museum? I was speechless when I heard these stories of what you have done. And it’s contagious.

TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art, October 20. The auction catalogue includes many more works of art, design, and VIP experiences, including a portrait sitting with Karl Lagerfeld.