Trophée des Arts Gala 2009
Honoring
Robert Wilson
Theater and Visual Artist, Founder of the Watermill Center
Trophée des Arts
Bernard Poussot
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Wyeth
Pilier d’Or
Isabelle Huppert
Presenter
Monday, November 2, 2009
7pm Cocktails and Silent Auction
8pm Dinner and Live Auction
Black Tie
The Plaza
Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, New York City |
Attend
a festive and elegant evening in support of FIAF’s educational
programs and cross-cultural exchange.
FIAF’s annual Gala, taking place again this year at New
York’s historic Plaza Hotel, is instrumental to the organization’s
mission to teach French, promote Francophone culture, and
strengthen French-American relations.
The 2009 Trophée des Arts awarded to
ROBERT WILSON
Susan Sontag has said of Wilson’s work “it has the signature of a major artistic creation. I can’t think of any body of work as large or
as influential.” After the Paris premiere of Deafman Glance in 1971, French Surrealist Louis Aragon wrote of Wilson, “he is what we, from
whom Surrealism was born, dreamed would come after us and go
beyond us.” Until today Wilson has presented and premiered over 40
works in France and has worked with every major institution in Paris.
Wilson has recently created a series of high definition video portraits,
the VOOM Portraits, that travel to major art institutions around
the world. In 1992 he founded the Watermill Center, a laboratory for performance as a unique environment for young and emerging artists
from around the world to explore new ideas. Wilson has been named
“Commandeur des arts et des lettres” by the French Minister of Culture.
Established in 1992, the Trophée des Arts is awarded each year to a distinguished artist or cultural icon who has exemplified our organization’s mission of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange.
The 2009 Pilier d’Or awarded to
BERNARD POUSSOT
Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Wyeth, Bernard Poussot is
the strategic mastermind behind the recent blockbuster merger of the major biopharmaceutical
company into Pfizer. Beginning as head of Wyeth France, and then of Wyeth Europe,
Mr. Poussot had a remarkable career at Wyeth globally. It was his strategic foresight
to capitalize early on the potential of biotechnology, as well as his commitment
to scientific innovation, which positioned Wyeth to become a leading biotechnology
and vaccines company. Bernard Poussot’s successful career at the helm of a Fortune
500 American company is a shining example of the capacity for success of French
nationals in global companies and in the United States. Mr. Poussot is on the
board of the Eisenhower Fellowship and the World Affairs Council. He was awarded
the French Legion of Honor by President Jacques Chirac.
The Pilier d’Or recognizes a leading business figure, diplomat, or philanthropist for outstanding contributions to the French-American Community.
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