|
|
|
Decembers to Remember in Miami Beach
By : Saxon Henry
As if there weren't enough reasons to visit sunny South Florida during winter, the visionary organizers of an art fair in Basel, Switzerland, called Art Basel, brought an American offshoot to Miami Beach six years ago. Though a fledgling compared to its European namesake with its 38-year run, Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), held Dec. 6-9 this year, has incited a frenzy of activities that have become legendary in the art world.
The fair's director, Sam Keller, has some important advice for first-timers. "My personal tips would be to wear comfortable shoes, be open-minded and talk with the dealers because you can get so much information from the galleries," he explains, adding that guided tours throughout the fair are also excellent ways for new collectors to learn. "Additionally, we have panel discussions during which major collectors and museum directors speak every morning."
Considering that ABMB drew 40,000 visitors to Miami in 2006, it's no surprise that it has very wide coattails. While ABMB holds court in the Miami Beach Convention Center, 20 other fairs—an increase of seven over 2006—take place in hotels in South Beach, the southernmost tip of Miami Beach that stretches from First to 21st streets, or in Miami's hottest arts neighborhood known as the Wynwood Arts District—a slice of Miami that extends from NW 17th Street to NW 36th Street and from NW Sixth Avenue to Biscayne Boulevard.
Dennis Leyva, the arts and entertainment liaison for the City of Miami Beach, explains how the art mania has transformed the area during a normally tranquil time of the year. "Traditionally, after White Party Weekend during Thanksgiving things were pretty quiet until New Year's weekend," he says. "Now, with Art Basel Miami Beach and the other fairs taking place simultaneously, December is one of the busiest months of the year."
Busy is an understatement, as the weeklong fair free-for-all is so saturated with events that it's physically impossible to attend all of them. ABMB begins with an opening party, or Vernissage, on Wednesday evening. The fair itself opens from Thursday through Sunday at noon. Other ABMB venues include an exhibition space for young galleries, called Art Positions, which blossoms in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park between 21st and 22nd streets and Collins Avenue.
The Art Sound Lounge and Art Video Lounge pulse from within the Miami Beach Botanical Garden across the street from the convention center during ABMB; and Art Perform, also in Collins Park, features daily performances by internationally renowned artists. Last year, Mexican performer Carlos Amorales, Berlin's electropunk band Peaches and the Spartacus Chetwynd troupe from London performed. There are ample venues for after-party attitude: ArtBar @ Delano and ArtLounge @ Skybar host glam parties and DJ jams every night beginning at 10 p.m.
Though Art Basel Miami Beach reigns supreme, it is thought of as a more "formal" event than the long list of attendant fairs, which have a more casual tone because of the surroundings and the fact that many of the organizers pride themselves in offering works by lesser-known artists. The dichotomy is a good thing for collectors, as the mix holds something for nearly everyone's taste and budget.
While Warhols and Basquiats are selling for millions inside the convention center, works by emerging artists are available for as little as $800 at other venues. The most established of the artful additions to ABMB are NADA, Aqua Art Miami, Pulse Miami and Scope Miami. Last year, Flow, INK, Photo Miami, Pool Art Fair, Fountain, Bridge Art Fair, Zones Contemporary Art Fair and DiVA Miami joined the mix. Each year, these fairs start earlier and stay longer, giving collectors more time to sample their artistic wares.
If it seems that so many fairs would spoil the sales, it's important to note that many of them specialize in particular mediums: DiVA concentrates on digital and video art; Photo Miami, as its name suggests, is centered around photography; and INK is organized by the International Fine Print Dealers Association. Others, like Aqua Art Miami and Scope showcase a wide variety of art forms.
Scope moved last year from the beach to Roberto Clemente Park, joining Pulse, Zones and Photo Miami in Wynwood, which is also home to warehouses containing the spoils of some of Miami's most voracious collectors. The Rubell Family Collection will be showcasing Hernan Bas and John Stezaker this year, while The Margulies Collection will exhibit sculptures by well-known artists that include Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Isamu Noguchi and Andy Warhol.
Given that the arts district is seven blocks wide by 15 blocks long and is peppered with fairs, galleries and artist studios, it's remarkably easy to bump into any number of entertaining offerings. Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin—a Miami offshoot of the Parisian gallery of the same name—will be exhibiting Italian-born artist Tatiana Trouvé during ABMB week this year, and Alejandro Vigilante's clever "E-mail Art" will be the center of attention a few blocks away at Gallery 121.
Art is not the only star on the offerings agenda, as the success of Design Miami proved with its sales of limited-edition and postwar furniture that topped $13 million last year. The furniture frenzy brought celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Donna Karan and Keanu Reeves to the fair and drew 15,000 visitors to the Art Loves Design Party at the Moore Building in the Miami Design District. This December, a fence conceived by the 2006 Designer of the Year, Marc Newson, will be unveiled.
Another design venue, Casa Decor Miami, debuted last year. The first of its kind in the United States, the event's roots date back to Argentina in the 1980s, a time when talented design professionals began transforming decrepit buildings into suave showhouses. This year, designers, architects and manufacturers will revamp a 50,000-square-foot building on Biscayne Boulevard near the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts.
The Bass Museum of Art, nestled near the Miami Beach Convention Center, is debuting Promises of Paradise, an exhibition that will present the architecture, urban planning, design and decorative arts of mid-20th century Miami. With the Morris Lapidus-infused experience that a mere stroll down Lincoln Road brings, a viewing of his contributions to Miami is a MiMo—Miami Modern—must. Miami's other museums, such as the Miami Art Museum (MAM) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) also have special exhibitions on tap.
It should be apparent by now that another important piece of advice would be "pace yourself." Even seasoned art lovers can become overwhelmed at the sheer volume of stimulus. Of the sensory experience, Keller remarks, "Even as an expert, it is breathtaking to see so many works in such a concentration." And, buyer beware: Even if you trek through South Florida's art avalanche once, you'll likely want to return. "We change a certain percentage of galleries every year to keep Art Basel Miami Beach fresh and interesting," says Keller. "Some of the world's finest dealers reserve their best works for our events."
Add the multitude of other fairs that continue to increase in number and you'll find the most comprehensive snapshot of art in the world in Miami each December.
Design Miami
designmiami.com
DiVa Miami (digital & video art)
Art Basel Miami Beach
artbaselmiamibeach.com
NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance)
newartdealers.org
AQUA (Aqua Art Miami)
aquaartmiami.com
PULSE Miami
pulse-art.com
SCOPE Miami
scope-art.com
Art Miami
art-miami.com
Photo Miami
artfairsinc.com
Bridge Art Fair
bridgeartfair.com
Pool Art Fair Miami
poolartfair.com
INK Miami (Int'l Fine Print Dealers Association)
inkartfair.com
FLOW (Flow Miami Invitational Art Fair)
flowfair.com
Fountain
fountainexhibit.com
Zones Contemporary Art Fair
edgezones.org
AIPAD (The Association of International Photography Art Dealers)
aipad.com
Art Now Fair
artnowfair.com
Red Dot Fair
reddotfair.com
SeaFair
Tribal Miami
b4rtime.com
Rubell Family Collection
rubellfamilycollection.com
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse
margulieswarehouse.com
Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin
galerieperrotin.com
Gallery 121 (Alejandro Vigilante)
alexvigilante.com
Bass Museum of Art
bassmuseum.org
Miami Art Museum
miamiartmuseum.org
Museum of Contemporary Art
mocanomi.org
Casa Decor Miami
casadecor-usa.com
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
|
