Doug Aitken exhibition debuts at Regen Projects in Los Angeles

The event: Artists, art professionals, collectors and other art enthusiasts joined gallery owner Shaun Caley Regen for Saturday’s opening of Doug Aitken’s exhibition, “Still Life,” at Regen Projects in Los Angeles, one of several weekend events marking the beginning of the social season for L.A.’s ever-increasing art scene. A dinner in Aitken’s honor followed at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.

The scene: More than 300 guests swarmed into the gallery, exploring the sculptural signs and symbols, illuminated light boxes and other objects throughout the impressive space. Many spilled onto the upstairs terrace for more art and a breath of fresh air, with some later heading for the hotel, where they sampled hors d’oeuvres, ate from the buffet and mingled in conversational clusters on the cozy terrace.

The crowd: Among others on scene were “Saturday Night Live” alum Mike Myers; actor Julian Sands of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo;” Oscar-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan; director Mira Nair of “Monsoon Wedding;” MOCA director Philippe Vergne and Sylvia Chivaratanond; LACMA director Michael Govan and Katherine Ross; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art director Neal Benezra, LAXART director Lauri Firstenberg; MOCA curator Helen Molesworth; Hammer curator Ali Subotnick; artists Matthew Barney, Catherine Opie, Sergej Jensen, Thomas Demand and Liz Glynn; plus collectors Edye and Eli Broad, Mandy and Cliff Einstein, Jeanne and Arthur Cohen, Susan and David Gersh, Nayla Audi, Cathy Vedovi, Linda Janger, Rosette Delug and Joyce Ostin.

The artist: Known for his multi-disciplinary body of work, consisting of photography, sculptures, publications, sound and video installations, Aitken also served as the visionary behind the 2010 “Artist’s Museum Happening” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

“This is an extremely different exhibition for me,” Aitken said. “It really came from the idea of stillness and freezing time. ... Whereas the majority of my work is about motion -- and I embrace that motion, that change, one thing leading to another to another -- I felt that our society is moving so fast with information that one of the more radical things I could do is actually to preserve it all, crystallize it all.”

For the latest in party news, follow Ellen Olivier on Twitter @SocietyNewsLA