Art Basel Miami 2012 Highlights: 12/5

Trying to see and truly absorb all of the art at Art Basel Miami is impossible. 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa show work by over 2,000 artists, and that's just the main fair. There are additional fairs throughout the city, tons of street art in the famous Wynwood Art District, and of course, tons of parties. There's also the incredible Design Miamitaking place right across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center. Some are here to party, some are here to see art, and some are here to buy it. If you're lucky, you're here to do all three.

Check out Art Basel Miami 2012 Highlights: 12/5 to see some of the art and design that caught our eye.

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We attended the press preview of Moving the Still, a group exhibition in the Wynwood arts district put on by Tumblr, Paddle8, Milk Studios, and SmartWater. The preview marked the opening of the exhibit to the public. We were led through the dark to a white cube within a 40,000 square-foot warehouse space by artist Richard Phillips and Paddle8 Chief Council Member Johnny Misheff. GIFs were projected onto various walls, featuring a selection of work from the 3,500 submissions received, in addition to GIFs made by established artists like Inez and Vinoodh, Nick Knight, Nicola Formichetti, and Matthew Williams.

One of the quotes that stuck out to us was from Richard Phillips, who said, "The way art gets appropriated in GIFs is entirely new. It's like hyper-re-appropriation." After seeing the exhibition, we couldn't agree more.

Visit Moving the Still at 318 NW 23rd Street on 12/5 - 12/8 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. or view the pieces online.

When we walked into the Miami Beach Convention Center, the first person we saw was Diddy. Seriously. But at that point, he was already leaving. In short, the galleries exhibiting at the main fair really brought it this year. There are so many artists and works that stand out, and from the looks of it, serious buyers to patronize them. Instead of trying to explain any further, enjoy some of our favorite pieces from the first day's walkthrough.

We're huge fans of Richard Mosse, so when it came to our attention that Rick Ross bought one of his pieces, we were ecstatic...and jealous...mostly because we had just been there enjoying the work before he showed up. The piece is from Jack Shainman Gallery at booth B21.

This piece can be paralyzing (in a good way) if you stare at it for a while. It certainly mesmerized everyone walking by. It uses LED, IC, a microcomputer, electric wire, and a passive sensor, all within a stainless iron frame. It's from Tokyo's SCAI The Bathhouse at booth K4.

There's nothing like the beauty and simplicity of a Robert Irwin piece. While there are a lot of light pieces at this year's fair, we will always appreciate the stunning verticality and color of an Irwin piece. It's from The Pace Gallery at booth C10.

This piece stood out to us, because it's simply impossible to avoid staring at it for an extended period of time. It seems to stare back at you, as was the case for our friend from Art.sy, Elena Soboleva. It's from Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac at booth C11.

This piece by Hank Willis Thomas (there are multiple at the fair) changes as you move around it. Click through to see what we mean. It's from Jack Shainman Gallery at booth B21.

Doug Aitken's work with words and type is refreshing and stunning in person. It's from Regen Projects at booth C14.

It may be slightly older, but this blue and red fluorescent light piece is a two-tone masterpiece. It's from Paula Cooper Gallery at booth F09.

Yes, what you see is correct. How incredible is this?! It's a modified tanning bed with a 6-foot bronze Armed Freedom sculpture. Only 3 have been made. It's from Gladstone Gallery at booth H12.

This new Barbara Kruger work does not disappoint, and it actually resembles her full-room exhibition at L&M in 2011, both in style and subject matter. It's from L&M Arts at booth B12.

The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a great spot to catch a nearby break from the Basel Miami and Design Miami crowd. There's a great café and tons of space to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature and sculpture. This year, BMW has installed three art cars painted in the styles of Frank Stella, Alexander Calder, and Robert Rauschenberg. If you stop by, they'll offer you a chance to attend Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

One of the most anticipated parts of this year's Design Miami has been the Drift installation by Snarkitecture. It was installed at the entrance of the Design Miami pavilion, giving people a place to sit, Instagram, and marvel at its intricacy. We met up with architect and founder of Architizer Marc Kushner, who was just as impressed as we were. It amazingly gives the illusion of a floating tent.

Terence Riley moderated a conversation between Asif Kan and Kenya Hara in the Design Miami tent. Both designers discussed their individual work, how design can be used to solve problems, and what it means to be a multi-disciplinary artist in 2012. Kenya Hara, also known as art director for Muji and the creator of Architecture for Dogs explained his design philosophy, saying, "Sometimes I'm a poet, sometimes I'm an architect. I wonder what I am...always."