"Paradiso" was the theme of the 17th annual benefit for Robert Wilson's Watermill Center. As guests were greeted by a machine sculpture ("ANTICHAMBRE" by Marie-Eve Nadeau and Sophia Medici) with bars inviting the crowd to "limbo," it was unclear what universe the party was really in—the dress code was "heavenly," the 24 site-specific installations were otherworldly, and the humid weather was, well, pure hell. If there wasn't a word to describe it, you could buy the smell, a one-of-a kind Watermill Paradiso scent created by IFF and in bottles designed by the institute's summer artists were up for auction at $500 a pop. PHOTO BY PATRICK MCMULLAN

Sharon Stone, who was in a white dress and sandals, told me she'd dressed "heavenly" by wearing "something loose and flat shoes," but Rufus Wainwright, in a western shirt and gemstone pin, had a different perspective.  "The clothes themselves were what was clean and presentable, but as I was driving over here I saw this amazing Balenciaga brooch in the window—and the car came to a screeching  hault and I ran out. I figured heaven is about living in the moment and not having any regrets. So I bought the brooch."

Because of Bravo's "Work of Art" reality show, artists have been talking about about why they're different. Alec Baldwin sees it: "Even though you may not react to it in any kind of particular way, what I do appreciate is that it is art, something that someone put out. And they really dont care if you get it or not. I work in a business which has pretensions of being creative and artistic but is very result-orientated. It's just been laundered and dry cleaned to death."