10 Art Basel Miami Beach Events You Haven't Heard About Yet

With the entire creative economy converging on Miami for this year’s iteration of Art Basel, it’s easy to get lost in the Scylla and Charybdis of events throughout the four-day culture-jam. So many galleries, exhibitions, pop-up shops, parties, and concerts flutter in and out of attention, it’s hard to keep track of everything, let alone know what’s flagged under your radar. But we’re here to help.

As the bottom feeders of the culture industry, we’re often made privy to the footnotes, the things that may not catch the eye of the casual observer who’s on the hunt for the next big party or hotspot. The fatigue can be overwhelming. Getting knocked around in a cool-hunting crowd isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes, you’re better off staying off the map: Here are 10 Art Basel Events You Haven’t Heard About Yet.

RELATED: Don't Miss the Worlds Collide Event at Art Basel Miami Beach This Year
RELATED: Art Basel Miami '13 Interview Series: FAILE Talks Bringing Back the Deluxx Fluxx Arcade
RELATED: Topsafe London to Bring "Most Oddinism" Post-Street Art Exhibition to Art Basel Miami Beach Next Week
RELATED: 10 Tips to Know Before Attending Your First Art Fair

Location: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 11935 Old Cutler Rd.
Date: December 1 - May 31

A collection of immaculate reclaimed wood sculptures by Hugo Franca goes on display to coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach. Though it’s showing through to May 2014, if you’re in the area of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, this is the best chance to see how the Brazilian artist turns driftwood and scraps into functional, beautiful pieces of design. We also hear these botanic gardens can offer an incredible peace of mind in an otherwise turbulent party atmosphere—this could be spit number A1 if you need a break from the hubbub of the fair proper. More information can be found here.

Location: Lord Balfour Hotel, 350 Ocean Dr.
Date: December 1 - January 31

Organized by the Pink Bastard art forum, this exhibit the centers on the issue of words in artworks sits in the lobby of the Lord Balfour Hotel through to January 31. It’s a group show, featuring the artworks of 9Adriana Carvalho, Alissa Christine, Katie Flood, Kevin Foltz, Cory Foote, Rosa Naday Garmendia, Franklin Sinanan, Lauren Swartzbaugh, VILTE and David Zalben. In addition, the muralist fin DAC has installed a beautiful new mural of his “urban aesthetics” (pics of the work in progress above) in the courtyard of the hotel. This is not one to miss.

Location: Delano Hotel, 1685 Collins Ave.
Date: December 5

Maybe he’s not the most well-known member of the Wu-Tang Clan, but at this year’s Art Basel he might be the most civically minded. With big Ghostface taking the stage Thursday night with De La Soul and Black Violin, it’s gone really overlooked that Masta Killa, too, will be performing that evening. At the Miami club Delano, Killa will perform a set as part of a Wu-Tang-themed charity auction. We’re not sure of the exact nature of the benefit, but the last time the Wu participated in a charity auction, it was to support the American Diabetes Association.

Location: Biscayne Bay
Date: December 4 - December 7

High-rise condo developers will do just about anything to stay in the good graces of the public. Enter: “Lights Up for East Edgewater.” This is billed as an “open-air art installation,” which actually just means “beams of white light will stretch into the night sky” from the construction sites of five different condo towers around Biscayne Bay. In terms of importance of what is going on art-wise, this is definitely one of the least-exciting, most corporately mired projects to debut during Art Basel this year. And yet, we feel we should bring you word of it, just so you understand what you’re looking at—a celebration of a $1.5 billion luxury real estate development.

Location: The Standard Spa Miami, 40 Island Ave.
Date: December 4 - December 8

If you’re familiar with the undercurrents of DIY zine culture, you’re sure to know about The Newsstand. It’s a pop-up DIY shop situated at the Metropolitan Avenue L-train station in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a project curated by Alldayeveryday, and the group is taking the zine emporium South for a pop-up version. Going on, well, all day every day of Art Basel, The Newsstand pop up will feature exclusive book releases, vintage zines, and contributions from San Francisco imprint Goutblod, as well as New York’s storied Boo-Hooray. Not to miss—catch it in the lobby of The Standard Hotel Miami, with a number of special events happening throughout the weekend.

Location: Regal Cinemas, 1120 Lincoln Rd.
Date: December 5

Spike Jonze is one of the most low-key influential directors of our time, having arguably created a number of iconic music videos that are in themselves artworks. His feature films are just as lauded, giving this special screening of his new film, Her, a particularly enticing aura. Throw a Jeffrey Deitch into the mix, recently deposed from his post at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, moderating a Q&A with the director, and this is sure to be a heavy hitter. It’s Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Location: Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE 2nd Ave.
Date: December 6

Location: Gramps, 176 NW 24th St.
Date: December 7

While most musically-minded peeps will be at the bigwig events such as Kendrick Lamar or De La Soul or Chris Cornell or Tegan and Sara, there’s a respite for those with a little odder taste in music. The Look Alive Fest takes Miami by storm this year, its first incarnation. Curated by independent music publication Ad Hoc, in conjunction with Split Milk Projects, Look Alive is going to be the home of all the noisiest and weirdest in music throughout Art Basel. In terms of music functioning as art, this is a stringently valid space, with heavy hitters like Wolf Eyes, Guardian Alien, Indian Jewelry and Pontiak all taking the stage. More information can be found here.

Location: Miami Transit S119 and 120 Bus Routes
Date: December 1 - 31

Blink and you’ll miss it. A number of Miami city busses will be transformed into moving works of art, done up by Puerto Rican-born, New York-based artist Angel Otero. As part of an ongoing public art commissions initiative, the Locust Project brought in the abstract painter for their 15th year of existence, this one to coincide with Art Basel. You can check out the routes of the busses right here; a reception for the event will be held at the Locust Projects (3852 North Miami Ave.) on Thursday, December 5 from 7 - 10.

Location: 2805 Collins Ave.
Date: December 8

All the New York rumblings about Bushwick being the new Chelsea, in terms of the art market burgeoning there, have gone far beyond the realm of gallery openings. Bushwick is taking things south this year. A devoted group of artists, performers, musicians, and curators will show on the final day of Art Basel, with the objective of “proving that Bushwick is more than a place, it’s a lifestyle.” Until Sunday, we’ll just have to take their word for it.

Location: Gramps, 176 NW 24th St.
Date: December 7

Look, there is no better way to decompress from the overwhelming splendor of the Art Fair than with one of Jonathan Toubin’s legendary “Soul Clap and Dance Off” parties. Toubin is one of the best DJs in the world, and his contest are renowned for their vigor, fun, excitement, community spirit, exuberance, and cathartic appeal. Throw all these other amazing musical performers into the mix, for a shindig that will go late into the night of Art Basel’s Saturday, and this is one of the best bets of the entire weekend. The event goes down at Gramps, for free, noon until late Saturday. This one blows up.