Like all art fairs and biennale weeks, this year’s Art Basel in Miami is a marathon for the strong-willed and sturdy-livered. A fascinating retrospective of Jonathan Meese sculpture at MOCA and solo shows by Daniel Arsham and Paola Pivi opened at
Like all art fairs and biennale weeks, this year’s Art Basel in Miami is a marathon for the strong-willed and sturdy-livered. A fascinating retrospective of Jonathan Meese sculpture at MOCA and solo shows by Daniel Arsham and Paola Pivi opened at Emmanuel Perrotin on the 30th (finished by a mammoth White Cube party at the newly opened Soho Beach House, which has been constantly rammed all week).
Wednesday morning at 9am, the Rubell Collection kicked off its five mornings of free porridge to coincide with their latest show in a disused building round the back of the gallery. The big bad fair itself opened at the Miami Beach Convention Centre Wednesday – it is worth taking a peek at Beat Takeshi Kitano’s collaboration with Fondation Cartier amongst the hundreds of international stands. Design Miami also opens its doors, and Cristina Grajales and Carpenters Workshop Gallery are both always worth a look.
On Thursday, Marnie Weber is in conversation at Art Basel and the well-curated satellite fair NADA opens its doors. Thursday evening is an overflow of more leftfield events – It Ain’t Fair, and Skins curated by Alex Gartenfeld, open at the increasingly must see location of the OHWOW Gallery. Assume Vivid Astro Focus open an temporary installation at Wynwood Walls, alongside Jim Drain’s murals. Friends With You is also throwing a massive party with N.E.R.D. (Pharrell was the first star spotted on the Basel circuit), for those not heading to Le Baron at the Delano.
Friday sees the debut of Marco Brambilla's new 3D film, Evolution, with a party hosted by Marina Abramovic, André Balazs and AnOther's Editor in Chief, Jefferson Hack. For those not able to make it to Miami, the film will be exclusively previewed online at AnOthermag.com on Saturday.
There are dozens of fashion events across the city this week too – a fashion show from Chloe on Saturday, Pringle events at Webster on Friday, Lacoste announce the winner of their art prize at the Delano on Friday night. Anyone who makes it alive to Poppy de Villeneuve’s event at the Mondrian on Saturday night deserves a medal. The airport will be filled with art casualties on Sunday…
Art Basel Miami Beach is on now through to 5 December.
Text by Francesca Gavin
Francesca Gavin is the author of Creative Space, Hell Bound and Street Renegades, all published by Laurence King. She is also a contributing editor to AnOther, Visual Arts Editor of Dazed & Confused and Art Editor of Twin