Whether you’re trying to snag a Hockney for your growing collection or just dipping your toe into the international art scene, Art Basel Miami Beach is the place to be. You may want to put on your glitziest outfit and dancing shoes. This visual feast will throw you into a whirlwind of color, modernism and immersive pieces.
Thousands of people flock to Basel, lasting from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. They also attend the scores of events that have grown up surrounding it. Galleries, artists, collectors, and celebrities from around the world will be headed to South Florida to behold new installations and rare works. They hope to catch a glimpse of a masterpiece or fall in love with a new creator.
Art Basel is essentially a weekend that highlights global art. The mission is to “connect collectors, galleries, and artists” from all over the world.
For the main fair at the convention center, prices vary between general and premium packages. General tickets tickets range between $65 and $120. VIP experiences run from $650 to $3,500. There are services such as private tours, early access and exclusive events.
The main festival takes place at 901 Convention Center Dr. in Miami Beach, with smaller exhibitions in Wynwood, the Miami Design District and elsewhere. Bridgette Finn is the new director of this year’s fair. She has a long history in the art world after years of working in galleries in New York City and co-owning a Detroit gallery.
Almost 300 galleries from 35 countries and territories will create the lineup for this year’s main fair. These include Miami-based galleries such as David Castillo, Central Fine, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Piero Atchugarry Gallery and Spinello Projects. Showcasing well-known artists and newcomers alike, the main fair creates an atmosphere that blends the old and the new, displaying how art has been influenced and perpetuated over time.
At right, Remedios Varo, from De Homo Rodans – Pterodáctilo, Animal fantástico, Cabeza de Homo Rodans, Homo Rodans,. ©2022 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid. Photo by Scott Saraceno, courtesy Gallery Wendi Norris, San Francisco. (Provided by Gallery Wendi Norris)
One of the galleries participating this year is Wendi Norris. Located at booth #G7, it is an international art gallery from San Francisco that showcases contemporary and surrealist art. It houses a prolific collection and represents artists such as Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning and Wolfgang Paalen. This year, they will be presenting Alchemy of the Soul: María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Remedios Varo. This display will focus on the “transformative power of science and spirituality.”
Outside of the main fair, one of the most interesting Basel events will be held at FIU’s very own Wolfsonian museum on South Beach. The museum puts on a party/exhibition every year, and this one is no different. Succulent: A Wolfsonian Art Basel Miami Beach VIP Party, is happening on Dec. 6. The theme is humans and the natural world.
Located at 1001 Washington Ave., the Wolfsonian is going full tropical with its decor and expression. Samuel De Jesus, the membership and events manager, talked a bit about the theme of humans and nature.
“It’s sort of a positive outlook on the environment, and we kind of made it work for the party in a way,” he said. “Like, for example, we were trying to not use bottled water, we’re going with canned water. That’s on a small scale, but just small things like that.”
Interior decorations for the party turn the museum into a lush, tropical jungle where attendees can explore all sorts of art through the centuries.
The party, which will be held from 7 -10 p.m., is open to Wolfsonian members at the diplomat level ($250), and any cardholders of Design Miami, Art Basel and other partner companies.
The Wolfsonian is hosting a wide array of exhibits, including:
The Garden of Earthly Delights (presented by Bonhams), a special pop up exhibit only for Art Week that shows off art with an “otherworldly” or naturalistic flair.
The Big World: Alternative Landscapes in the Modern Era, a series that encompasses the change of landscape in the world around us, whether it’s an untouched valley or a war razed cityscape.
Harry Clarke and the Geneva Window, which takes viewers into the time of the artist, who’s stained glass window was rejected by the League of Nations in 1926. It will exhibit stories about the window and “the consequences of cultural censorship.”
In Balance by Hettler.Tüllman focuses on combining art deco motifs with more naturalistic roots. It’s a balance, you see..
Hearst: Lampooning the King of Yellow Journalism, which is an installation that will reflect on yellow journalism, sensationalism, and the backlash against the infamous William Randolph Hearst.
“The most exciting part of it is that we’re doing something we’ve never done before,” said De Jesus. “So there’s a lot of firsts happening for Art Basel, and there’s a lot of hype behind it.”
Some of the “firsts” in question are having Bonhams, a New York auction house, put on an exhibit. The “Garden of Earthly Delights” exhibit is for Art Week only.
“The Bonhams exhibition, that’s one thing I feel like is a must see,” said De Jesus. “It’s only up for a week. The very cool thing about it is… they’re bringing in all their artwork post 1950. And…if you go to ‘The Big World’, or to the Harry Clarke exhibit, you’ll kind of basically be looking at art over 200 years.”
Another important part of Art Basel is cultural institutions. One of these, Coral Gables Museum, is putting on a visual arts and photography exhibition spotlighting Cuban art, called “A Legacy in Light.”
In collaboration with the CINTAS Foundation, Coral Gables Museum, located at 285 Aragon Ave., will continue the event until March 30.
The event showcases the work of fellows of the CINTAS foundation who have won its award in the past.
Yuneikys Villalonga, the curator of this event as well as the director of curatorial programs at the Coral Gables Museum, explained why the museum has chosen to partner with CINTAS.
“We have a long history of collaborations,” Villalonga said. “So, it was natural to continue to work with them, especially with the photography idea, because they just started an award for the photography category, and they were interested in highlighting it.”
Every artist on display has Cuban origins of some sort. Whether they were born there or elsewhere, the photography, videos, and collages are all part of their Cuban heritage.
According to Villalonga, “A Legacy in Light” isn’t like other things you’ll see during Art Basel.
“We’re showing over 30 artists who have worked in photography or photo-based works over the years,” she said. “This collection is truly first-class photography from Cuba.”
Villalonga explained that one of the hardest parts of curating the exhibition was simply selecting which pieces to show based on all the submissions she received.
“If you look at the whole collection, there’s a little bit more than we needed for the show,” she said. “It was hard to edit down, but we represented every artist that had photography sent in for the collection, not only every photographer but also every videographer.”
The exhibition offers a variety of work, including a photo by the foundation’s first photography contest winner, Paola Martínez-Fiterre.
Smaller events from Wynwood to Hialeah also add to the buzz. Pool parties, DJ sets and fashion shows will entice those who want to experience Miami’s nightlife. Factory Town, a prolific night club located at 4800 NW 37th Ave., hosts a variety of events including debuting the Galaxyer, the Mayan Warrior’s next-generation art car.
Strawberry Moon is another great party destination. Founded by David Grutman and Pharrell Williams, the restaurant/bar/rooftop pool tends to be a star-studded hotspot during the fair. It is located at the Good Time hotel at 601 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.
For the big weekend, almost every gallery and art museum in town will be open. Art Miami, the city’s longest running contemporary art fair at the western edge of the Venetian Causeway offers modern, contemporary and postmodern works in a huge and sophisticated tent. Another notable destination is the Faena Arts District located at 3201 Collins Ave in Miami Beach. It offers a free art exhibit spanning six blocks that includes cultural events and multimedia displays.
Basel’s allure, glamour and creativity, infused with Miami culture, makes it a must-see event.
Correction: The work from Gallery Wendi Norris was incorrectly credited in an earlier version of this story.
