One of the cultural highlights in the whirlwind of summer soirees in the Hamptons is the Watermill Center Summer Benefit & Auction, curated by the artistic maverick Robert Wilson.  Over 1200 guests from the art, social, fashion, design and entertainment worlds came out to the highly anticipated event, including artist Daniel Arsham, Public School designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Rufus Wainwright, Brooke Shields, John Varvatos and Nicole Miller. The event raised over $1.9 million to support the year-round artist residency program.

As this can be a jaded lot to impress, there are always visually stunning surprises hidden amongst the vast forested grounds filled with curiosities. This year the theme was Circus of Stillness…the power over wild beasts, which featured a rousing performance by Sierra “Rosie” Casady of CocoRosie, a collaborative installation by forthcoming resident artists Cirkus Cirkör, a cloud sculpture by Arsham, “music” from the sonic noise group Barrsheadalh, and over 20 site-specific installations by artists participating in the 2015 Residency Program – ranging from the surreal to simply ironic kitsch that stretches one’s imagination. Check out photos from the event below.

 Main image and middle image courtesy of Billy Farrell