Image via Complex Original
Art shows are hosted in cities around the world, but the annual Art Basel Miami Beach is a unique beast. Launching on Dec. 1 and running through Dec. 4, the art, music, and cultural event (now in its 15th year) has grown into one of the biggest happenings of the year. Tens of thousands of people descend on Miami Beach during the first week of December to experience the exhibitions and installations, walk amongst celebrities and major collectors, and fill their Instagram and Snapchat stories with FOMO-inducing views from the most exclusive parties and live performances.
Last year, attendees took in art created by some of the best in game, relived the history of Ronnie Fieg’s ASICS collaborations at the first KITH art gallery, and sweated out the toxins of the previous days at an art and concert series curated by Swizz Beatz, with Pusha T, Alicia Keys, and DMX as the headliners. It was lit before the internet ran that word into the ground, and Art Basel Miami Beach 2016 is sure to follow suit. A big part of the fun is learning about secret events once you’re on the scene, but here are a few that should be on your radar ahead of time.
Madonna’s Raising Malawi Benefit at Faena Forum
Location: Faena Forum, 3200 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Date: Dec. 2, 2016
Faena Forum, a new art and cultural center created by hotelier and real estate developer Alan Faena and designed by Rem Koolhaas’s OMA architecture firm, is set to open its doors on Miami Beach on Nov. 27. Just a few days later, on Dec. 2, pop icon Madonna will host a special benefit for Raising Malawi, the non-profit organization she founded in 2006 to raise support for poor children living in the Southeast African nation. The gala event will feature a live performance by Madonna that organizers say will involve a bit of stand-up comedy. There will also be an art auction, with profits benefiting a pediatric surgery hospital in Malawi.
“Desire” by Jeffrey Deitch and Larry Gagosian
Location: Moore Building, 3841 N.E. 2nd Ave., Miami
Dates: Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 2016
Jeffrey Deitch and Larry Gagosian shook things up last year when they announced a collaborative exhibition for Art Basel Miami Beach after decades of being known as competitors. Reuniting for round two at the Moore Building, the duo is set to open an exhibition that explores eroticism in modern and contemporary art. More impressive than the fact that Deitch and Gagosian survived their first collab and have returned for more is the lineup that they, and curator Diana Widmaier-Picasso, have crafted for the fair. Works by Jeff Koons, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Ed Ruscha, Harmony Korine, Cecily Brown, Roy Lichtenstein, R. Crumb, Hajime Sorayama, Vanessa Beecroft, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and many others will be on display beginning on Nov. 30 and lasting through the end of Art Basel.
José Parlá for the Rolls-Royce Art Programme
Location: National YoungArts Foundation Jewel Box, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
Dates: Nov. 29 - Dec. 15, 2016
After debuting Isaac Julien’s Stones Against Diamonds (Ice Cave) in Miami last year, Rolls-Royce has announced a new addition to its Art Programme for 2016. Miami-born Cuban artist José Parlá will present a site-specific exhibition of new paintings and sculptures titled “Roots,” curated and commissioned by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in partnership with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Known for his abstract, expressionistic painting style, Parlá’s works have been seen all over the world, from the installation of a 90-foot long mural in the main lobby of One World Trade, to more recent solo and group exhibitions in Texas, Tokyo, and New York. Wherever his work is being shown, you should make an effort to get there. Now that Art Basel Miami Beach is on the docket, you won’t have to look far.
David Bowie-Inspired Public Sector
Location: Collins Park, South Beach, Miami
Dates: Through Dec. 4, 2016
Each year, the curator of Art Basel Miami Beach’s Public Sector chooses a theme that grounds the each of the projects on display. Nicholas Baume recently announced that the theme for 2016 is “Ground Control,” a reference to the late rockstar, David Bowie. The broad concept will include references to space and our relationship to technology, with over 20 site-specific works presented at Collins Park in South Beach. Ceramic sculptures, drawings, bronze works, and large-scale pieces will transform the park into an outdoor exhibition space, with tours of the site offered daily. The exhibition runs through Dec. 4, but a selection of the works will remain on view through March 15.
Free Screening of ‘Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back’
Location: Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach
Date: Dec. 2, 2016
Often controversial and always eccentric, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and his subversive works are the focus of a new film directed by Maura Axelrod. Previously shown at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary—entitled Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back—is a profile of Cattelan filmed over 10-plus years, featuring interviews with the artist, his family, his ex-fiancée, and members of the art world who have worked with him throughout his career. The screening during Art Basel will be followed by a discussion between Axelrod and Film Sector curator, Marian Masone.
French Lingerie Retrospective
Location: Sagamore Hotel, 1671 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Dates: Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2016
It’s not all about paintings and sculptures at Art Basel Miami Beach. Fashion plays a big role in the culture of the fair, whether it’s the street style of those in attendance or special exhibitions that reflect on sartorial arts and the history of fabric, textiles, and patterns. Lingerie Française (the Association for the Promotion of Corsetry Industries) is scheduled to present its world-touring exhibition of undergarments for the Art Basel crowds beginning in late November and ending a couple days after the fair wraps. The exhibition features 100 significant pieces from the private archives of 11 French manufacturers, some of which date back 150 years. Displayed in the public spaces of the Sagamore Hotel, the collection of lace and silk will be totally free for anyone looking to get a peek.
Glenn Ligon and Claudia Rankine Artist Talk
Location: Miami Beach Convention Center, Hall C Auditorium, 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach
Date: Dec. 2, 2016
No Art Basel Miami Beach experience would be complete without attending at least one talk, and Hans Ulrich Obrist is a pro when it comes to curating and moderating art-related conversations. This year, the critic and historian will bring together artist Glenn Ligon and accomplished poet, playwright, and professor Claudia Rankine for an installment of the conversation series titled “Artists’ Influencers.” The discussion is slated to last an hour and a half, which gives those conversing ample time to explore various interesting subjects.
