MIRANDA DI CARCACI | DATE 3/7/2013

Badlands Unlimited Launches 'Marcel Duchamp: The Afternoon Interviews' at Marshall Chess Club, NY

On the evening of February 26, some of the great and the good of the art and publishing worlds gathered at the Marshall Chess Club to celebrate the publication of Calvin Tomkins’ Marcel Duchamp: The Afternoon Interviews.

Afternoon Interviews author Calvin Tomkins and Dodie Kazanjian.

Located just across the street from the brownstone where the artist once resided and where the interviews took place, the club's walls are lined with photos of Duchamp (he spent a large amount of time at the club), interspersed with other players including Bobby Fischer.

Cecilia Alemani and Massimiliano Gioni.

Indeed the historical location made Duchamp’s sentiment (quoted by Tompkins in the book), "Not all artists are chess players, but all chess players are artists," particularly poignant; throughout the night, several groups sat down to play, while the event was in full swing.

Frederic Tuten and Badlands Unlimited Publisher, Paul Chan.

Amongst the guests that evening were Paul Chan, artist and founder of Badlands Unlimited (the publisher of these interviews); Tobias Meyer, Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s; art collector and advisor Mark Fletcher; artists Laurie Simmons and Carroll Dunham; Carol Greene of Greene Naftali Gallery; Eve MacSweeney and Dodie Kazanjian from Vogue; art collector and patron, Charles De Gunzburg and his wife, Dia Chairwoman, Nathalie De Gunzburg; Kathy Halbreich, Associate Director, Museum of Modern Art; Massimiliano Gioni, Associate Director at the New Museum; independent curator and High Line Art Director Cecilia Alemani; Michelle Kuo, Editor of Artforum and novelist Frederic Tuten.

Charles and Natalie de Gunzburg with Carol Greene.

The event was covered by The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily and Vogue.com.

Dodie Kazanjian and New York magazine senior art critic, Jerry Saltz.

MoMA's Kathy Halbreich.

Mark Fletcher and Tobias Meyer.