Art Basel Miami Beach 2019: The Ultimate Guide to What to Do and What to See
Though Art Basel Miami Beach, the US edition of the international contemporary art fair, technically doesn't throw open its doors until this Thursday, locals fondly refer to the entire first week of December as Miami Art Week. In reality, they should call it "Art and Fashion Week," considering all the major brands who have gotten in on the fun over the years. Through collaborations, parties, and special events galore, fashion houses have proven their talent for fêting the arts through their consistent presence at the annual event.
This year, Dior is kicking off Art Basel Miami Beach’s festivities by presenting their latest men’s collection from the mind of Kim Jones, and labels from Loewe through Valentino have their own festivities planned. Whether you are heading to Florida yourself or are an armchair traveler, below is a comprehensive guide to what to do and what to see at this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach.
Art Basel Miami Beach, which has built a cult following of its own after coming out of the original fair in Basel, Switzerland, features a much-anticipated selection of artworks by the masters as well as blue-chip modern and contemporary artists. With over 200 galleries at the fair featuring works from North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, no wonder they've created an audio guide to help visitors get around. Be sure to visit the Rhona Hoffman Gallery booth specifically to see the work of Cairo-based painter Wassef Boutros-Ghali. Boutros-Ghali's rich abstract compositions in saturated hues are sure to be a highlight of the fair, which is visted by over 70,000 people annually.
The paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations in the main gallery are far from the only thing to see. Be sure to check out the Conversations series, which highlights the perspectives of artists like Marilyn Minter and Nicole Eisenman; Meridians, a new section dedicated to oversized immersive works; and the abundance of public art on view around the city as a part of the Miami Beach fair.
Untitled, 2007, by Wassef Boutros-Ghali, at Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Booth F30.
Prizm Art Fair kicks off on December 2nd, and its focus is to feature international artists from Africa and the African diaspora as well as emerging markets. The fair is in its seventh season, and this time, artists hail from all corners, including Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, South Africa, and the US. Expect boundary-pushing works reflecting today’s trends in contemporary art.
Image: Paula and Arielle, 2016, Jurell Cayetano / via Instagram / @prizmartfair
NADA Miami opens on December 5th. The anti-establishment fair is famous for highlighting young talent, and it predominantly features artists that will soon graduate to the main Art Basel Miami Beach fair. In its 17th year, emerging galleries from Lima, LA, Detroit, Copenhagen, San Juan, Mexico City, and Tokyo will all be bringing works from their rising talents to Miami.
Untitled, Art also features a heavy dose of new and emerging artists. However, the art at this fair comes together thanks to a special curatorial team, which puts select works in dialogue with architecture for an interdisciplinary experience. This year, they’ve tapped San Francisco-based curator Jordan Stein, who has curated a selection of works by Everglades- and South Florida-based artists.
Design Miami/ is in its 15th year, and a must-see particularly because it is also a smaller fair that one can cover in 2 or 3 hours. This year, the fair’s highlights fall into a few different categories - water, female designers, modern crafts, and Japanese and African design. You can catch Louis Vuitton there too, as the Parisian house is presenting the next iteration of their Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades collection comprised of limited-edition collectible furniture. This time the house tapped American designer Andrew Kudless who created the Swell Wave Shelf, which is created from oak and leather, and meant to resemble rocks that have been eroded over the course of time. Also at Design Miami/ is French Los Angeles-based artist Sebastian Leon's collaboration with Gemfields, the sustainbly-sourced supplier gorgeous emeralds and rubies. Titled Geochrome, the experience plays with how humans see color, particularly emerald green and ruby red.
The esteemed Rubell Family Collection has officially moved from Wynwood to neighboring Allapattah and is renaming itself to the Rubell Museum. Opening on Wednesday, December 4, the space boasts over 100,000 square feet and will be the new home for the family's collection of 7,200 works by over 1,000 artists. Expect long-term exhibitions in the new gallery spaces as well as important pieces by Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mickalene Thomas, and Cindy Sherman.
Photo courtesy of the Rubell Museum
Another new museum will also debut this week in Miami: that of Argentine-American billionaire Jorge M. Pérez. If his last name seems familiar, that is because it's splashed all over another of the city's art buildings, the Pérez Art Museum Miami or PAMM. The billionaire’s latest endeavor, dubbed El Espacio 23, opens December 4 with an inaugural show that explores art's relationship to social unrest.
Photo courtesy of El Espacio 23
On December 5th, famed artist Shepard Fairey will unveil a new outdoor artwork in at the DASH school in the Miami Design District, and then will be hosting a private luncheon to celebrate the work with Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot. Hublot is having a big week in Miami with the unveiling of a new watch and the reopening of their boutique in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, and it will be exciting to see the house once again work with the street artist after collaborating on a watch in 2018.
The Miami Design District welcomes London-based Mexican artist Fernando Laposse for the 2019 Design Commission. Laposse has created a charming set of pink, hairy sloths from strands of sisal, which will be hanging from the trees and archways throughout the district. Titled Pink Beasts, the installation will also feature a selection of hammocks on which visitors can rest, turning the neighborhood into a millennial pink mecca of artsy relaxation. The Design District has also invited the design group Rooms, who hail from Tbilisi, Georiga, to do their first installation ever in Miami. 'In Circulation,' repurposes many soviet-era forgotten objects from their homeland.
Fashion labels are getting in on the Art Basel Miami Beach action, too. Opening December 3, the Loewe Foundation will present its fifth iteration of the Chance Encounters exhibition series, which pairs artists from different disciplines to create unexpected conversations. This year will see a site-specific textile, sound, and video work by British artist Hilary Lloyd, which will be on view at the Loewe store in Miami’s Design District neighborhood along with sculptures from ceramicist Ewen Henderson.
Photo: Robot, Hilary Lloyd, 2015 / Courtesy of Loewe
Miu Miu will unveil its second design collaboration with M/M Paris, entitled M/Marbles Stool. The first stool, aptly named M/Matching Colorstool, launched during Salone del Mobile di Milan earlier this year. This time around, these larger-than-life stools, comprising palm wood, crepe rubber, and hand-blown Murano glass "marbles," will be installed for visitors to discover in iconic Miami locations, such as the historic Buena Vista Post Office and The Standard’s outdoor garden.
Photo courtesy of Miu Miu
Fendi is unveiling their first ever scented Baguette bag. Yes, you read that correctly. The Roman house teamed up with Parisian perfumery Maison Francis Kurkdjian and the Swiss-Canadian artist Christelle Boulé, whose photography work focuses on the visual representation of the olfactory. Boulé captured what an exclusive fragrance looked like when sprayed through the use of iconic Fendi yellow, and the resulting art was then printed on scented leather, creating the FENDIFRENESIA Baguette. The Baguette and Nano Baguette are exclusive to the Miami Design District boutique.
Photo courtesy of Fendi.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their iconic logo, Italian sportswear brand Kappa is teaming up with artist Vanessa Beecroft to stage her first co-ed live performance. The work, which will also include photography and video, takes inspiration from the brand's unisex nature and will be staged at Miami’s new Lot 11 skatepark. The full project will open on December 5.
Fashion darling Emily Bode launches a pop-up shop in Wynwood on this weekend with Appear Here for her eponymous line. If you aren’t familiar with Bode, get acquainted - the designer’s thoughtful approach to fashion, using antique fabrics and hand-crafted methods, won her an emerging designer of the year award from the CFDA.
After wading into New York Fashion Week by sponsoring the VFiles show, cool-kid favorite retailer Depop is making its Art Basel Miami Beach debut by presenting an exhibit by New York-based creative @slumpykev.
Lastly, if you plan to be in Miami for the weekend, the place to be Saturday night is surely The Edition. Actor and DJ Idris Elba will be on the decks at the hotel's Basement nightclub, along with Diplo.
