Cultural Recommendations: Art Basel Miami
'The Art of Banksy'
WHO: Banksy is an anonymous street artist, political activist and Academy-Award nominated film director. No doubt you've heard the name over the past 10 years since the artist's work burst onto the popular culture scene—now Bansky sports a cult-like following including the likes of Justin Bieber (who has a Banksy piece tattooed on his arm), Brangelina (R.I.P.—the couple allegedly spent over $1M on a Banksy piece), Drake, Serena Williams, Damien Hirst...and the list goes on. Most recently, the king (or queen?) of surprises made a splash at a Sotheby's auction when their work, the $1.4M-worth Girl with Balloon (2002), self-shredded after it was sold.
WHAT: Art Basel is the next stop for this massive touring exhibition of 80 works. Curated by British gallery owner and Banksy's former agent Steve Lazarides, the artist's earlier and rarer works form the bulk of the collection, including the super famous Flower Thrower (2003), Flying Copper (2003) and Flag Wall (2006)—most of which are on loan from private collectors who had bought the works from Banksy when Lazarides was representing the artist.
WHY: The Magic City Innovation District, in collaboration with LiveNation and Miami Mayor Suarez, will be donating 50,000 of the ticket sales to all Miami-Dade County students and charities.
WHEN: 'Art of Banksy' officially opened in Art Basel Miami on December 1, 2018. Hurray!
Magic City Innovation Studios, 6301 N.E. Fourth Ave. Click here for more information.
'XYZT: Abstract Landscapes'
WHO: Their website reads, "Research and Creation in the Living and Digital Arts." Indeed, French contemporary multimedia artists and digital choreographers Adrien M. / Claire B., have become internationally acclaimed for their uniquely digital yet human-centric and technically impressive works. Who says tech can't be poetic? Cinematique (2011), Hakanai (2012) and Un Point C'est Tout (2011) are among their most famous ones.
WHAT: 'X' for horizontal, 'Y' for vertical, 'Z' for depth and 'T' for time, Adrien M. / Claire B.'s travelling exhibition of 10 jaw-drapping installations has all the elements required to create a wondrous tech-meets-human-meets-natural world right at the heart of Art Basel.
WHY: This exhibition is all about presenting visitors with a thought-provoking, immersive and sensory encounter. Examples? Stride across a floor that reacts to your footsteps, manipulate light particles in a giant digital cube, watch as virtual letters bump & grind to your touch.
WHEN: 'XYZT: Abstract Landscapes' is having an exclusive Art Basel VIP Access opening party December 7, 2018. If you're only considered a VIP for the other 364 days of the year, the exhibit will officially be up and running on December 8, 2018.
ARTECHOUSE 736 Collines Ave. Click here for more information.
'Ferngully'
WHO: Twins Nikolai and Simon Haas (A.K.A. the Haas Brothers) have the pop culture world abuzz with their playful furniture and sculptures, counting Lady Gaga, Donatella and Louis Vuitton as past clients. Blessed with a childhood where "fantasy was the norm," it's no wonder that Nikolai and Simon's most famous works include anthropomorphic hairy chaises, giant multicolored funghi lamps and stand-alone bronze and sheepskin creatures.
WHAT: 'Ferngully' (named after the 1992 animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest) welcomes Art Basel visitors into a fantastical world of imaginary beasts and flora and fauna of all personalities, shapes, colors, materials, and sizes. Together, these works (including Uma Worm-an [2018], Hair Witch Project [2015] and Wee Wee Top [2017]) form a complex ecosystem that explores the themes of renewal and rebirth.
WHY: This is the Haas Brothers's first solo museum exhibition, and is thus a chance for the critically acclaimed artists to present a series of works that are emblematic of their eight years of practice.
WHEN: 'Ferngully' by the Haas Brothers opened at The Bass Museum on December 5, 2018. See you there!
The Bass Museum of Art, 2100 Collins Avenue. Click here for more information.
Henrik Vibskov x 4510/SIX
WHO: Danish artist and fashion designer Henrik Vibskov has positioned himself at the precise meeting point between art and fashion. His men's and women's fashion collections dominate Copenhagen's runways (runways that Vibskov has transformed into theatrical stages for models and performers), while his fantastical larger-than-life sculptural installations have graced the MoMA in New York, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris and the ICA in London.
WHAT: This year, Vibskov has partnered up with 4510/SIX (the place to shop for the latest and greatest in fashion/design) to design a custom installation in celebration of the influx of creatives at Art Basel. The artist/designer will also be presenting his SS19 and AW18 collections at the Miami space—the latter inspired by Jan Fabre's The Man Who Measures the Clouds.
WHY: If you love both fashion and design (and shopping), check out how 4510/SIX offers visitors an experimental and artful retail experience.
WHEN: If you missed the opening party at Little River on December 4, 2018, fear not, 'Henrik Vibskov x 4510/SIX' is now open to the public for your viewing and/or shopping pleasure.
4510/SIX Little River, 7338 NW Miami Court. Click here for more information.
'Pop Miminalism/Minimalist Pop'
WHO: Jeffrey Deitch has been at the forefront of modern and contemporary art for almost half a century. Together with the Gagosian Gallery, Deitch has blessed the Miami Design district with three collaborations over the last few years. Curation by Jeffrey Deitch, with art works provided by Gagosian, each exhibition brings together a series of some of the world's most famous pieces to explore a specific artistic or societal theme.
WHAT: This year, Gagosian and Jeffrey Deitch are presenting Pop Minimalism / Minimalist Pop. Featuring, among many other pop culture icons, the work of Jeff Koons, Adam McEwen and Sarah Morris, this Art Basel exhibition explores the mixing and the legacies of the two major American movements of the 1960s.
WHY: Pop art and Minimalism are instantly recognizable, visually stunning and thought-provoking movements that are sure to add some intellectual/aesthetic.
WHEN: 'Pop Minimalism / Minimalist Pop' has been up and running since its iconic opening reception at the Moore Building on December 5, 2018. Didn't catch the party? The exhibition promises to be even better!
Moore Building, 191 NE 40th St. Click here for more information.
'Chance Encounters IV'
WHO: LOEWE, the luxury fashion house ventured into the arts & crafts world in 1988 thanks to its LOEWE FOUNDATION, whose mission it is to promote creativity, educational programs and to preserve the heritage of various art forms. Spearheaded by Sheila Loewe, the foundation has become an Art Basel institution thanks to its three yearly editions of 'Chance Encounters': a merging of disparate yet resonant works by various artists centered around a theme.
WHAT: 'Chance Encounters IV' presents the beautiful cross-disciplinary works of Andrea Büttner, Ian Godfrey and Anne Low. Featuring ceramics, hand-woven textiles and woodcut printing, this exhibition's goal is to show visitors how "outmoded techniques can create vital dialogues with the present."
WHY: As if that wasn't enough, 'Chance Encounters IV' takes place at LOEWE's fabulous Miami Design District store that, designed around a 18th century Portuguese granary, is a thing to behold. Why not fit in a little shopping, while you're at it?
WHEN: The exhibition started its run on December 4, 2018.
LOEWE 110 NE 39th St. Click here for more information.
'Art Plug Power House'
WHO: Marcel Katz, the curatorial maven and charistmatic man behind this art platform, is known for being wildly experimental. Perhaps his approach can best be summarized by one of his many provocative questions: "What do artists need the gallery for if the gallery isn't doing anything unique?" Art Plug Power House's mission is to encourage people to engage with art in a 21st Century way.
WHAT: Katz has picked Art Basel Miami to debut his exciting experimental platform. Thirty-two contemporary artists and a full lineup of DJs have been hand-picked to present their installations and tunes to only the most uber cool patrons of Art Basel.
WHY: Forget works hanging on white walls—Katz is determined to incorporate social media into how this exhibition is presented and shared—and to do so in the most original way possible. Did we mention that the location is a converted police impound? In other words, 'Art Plug Power House' is, quite literally, made to be instagrammable. Get your phone cameras ready.
WHEN: Consistent with the impactul yet fleeting nature of most things in the 21st century, this is a two-day public exhibition set to begin on Friday December 7, 2018.
1440 NW 21st St. Click here for more information.
'Ebony G. Patterson...while the dew is still on the roses...'
WHO: Ebony G. Patterson is an internationally renowned and award-winning Kingston-born cross-discipline visual artist, famous for works spanning across drawings, texture-rich taspestries, videos, sculptures, installations and everything in between. Addressing relatable themes of identity and body politics, each series presents itself as a fascinating investigation of a body part or an identity's place within a culture. One of Patterson's most recognizable works, Gangstas for Life (2008), explores the place of masculinity within Dancehall culture, for example.
WHAT: Supported by Christian Louboutin and TILA studios, 'Ebony G. Patterson...while the dew is still on the roses...' is the most significant presentation of Patterson's work to date. Featuring pieces layered with flowers, glitter, lace and beads, this exhibition investigates embellishment within youth culture and disenfranchised communities (in Jamaica and globally).
WHY: Several works, including Patterson's site-specific garden installation, exist specifically for this momentous Art Basel moment.
WHEN: Christian Louboutin, Franklin Sirmans and Kaseem Dean (A.K.A. Swizz Beatz) hosted an epic supper party to honor Patterson and to celebrate the launch of the exhibition on December 4, 2018. The dress code? "Dancing shoes." Now, you can catch 'Ebony G. Patterson...while the dew is still on the roses...' at the Perez Art Museum.
Perez Art Museum, 1103 Biscayne Boulevard. Click here for more information.
Photo Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter