Art Basel Miami
Last week I flew down to Miami for my third Art Basel, last year because of the pandemic unfortunately it was cancelled, so this year there was what seemed double the events and energy to make up for it! If you’re looking for a guide to Miami check out mine here. As for Art Basel - it’s a ZOO and can be very overwhelming the first time you go (or even the third) so I’ll put some of my tips and tricks here.
I like to make a list of art fairs/museums/new art unveilings I read about leading up the event whether it’s on instagram, artbasel.com, PR emails, or from friends and family who live in the area. After 3x I have to say the main event is Art Basel at the convention center and Design Miami that’s right next to the main fair. There are nearly hundreds of other smaller fairs happening such as Scope, Context, Art Miami and more however the only satellite fair I find consistently good is Untitled. The main Art Basel at the convention center rotates their art daily due to sales and pushing all of the different art they feel will do well and the space is enormous so you can definitely break it up into multiple days.
After figuring out what are must see’s art wise I begin planning out restaurants (highly recommend booking 2 weeks or more in advance), it’s the busiest time of the year so things go very fast. You can’t go wrong with anything in Design District such as Swan, Cote, or Mandolin. This year Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and more all threw parties in the area that unveiled new exhibits and stores as part of Art Basel so you will be in the thick of it if you visit at any point. Chanel unveiled an interactive maze in the middle of design district promoting their classic No 5 perfume as well as the launch of their new store in Miami. Louis Vuitton held tribute nearby for the passing of Virgil Abloh with his final show he curated for them. Dior held an exhibit honoring their heritage furniture. These exhibits and shows were almost all accessible to the public.
If you’re venturing closer to the convention center which is by south beach I recommend Casa Tua, Planta, Stubborn Seed, Cecconi’s, any of the restaurants at Faena or the Edition.
Another major recommendation about accommodation, book way in advance or plan to stay somewhere not too gorgeous. I highly recommend staying somewhere between 20th-40th streets in Miami Beach so you can bike and walk. The traffic is horrendous and there are not many routes to avoid the traffic. I also recommend a membership to Soho House, as overplayed as it may seem during Miami Art Basel it’s a saving grace from lines and gives you access to amazing DJ sets and talks with artists and tastemakers.
This year I got to see some amazing artists perform as well including Sofi Tukker who I’ve been dying to see for years - tickets were only $40 and the show was intimate by the pool of the SLS hotel. Rufus du sol performed the same night, along with Seth Troxler, Diplo, and other favorites all week. It took me a while to figure out how to hear of when these performances are happening but your best bet is to reach out to PR companies and check venues calendars such as Wynwood Studios.
Happy future Baseling! Let me know if you have any questions.
