“Make sure to keep a glass of champagne handy at all times. The week is known to get overwhelming.” -The Huffington Post
The Artpocalypse is about to start in Miami Beach this week with over close to 100,000 art aficionados flying south to look at $3 billion worth of art being offered for sale. In addition to the main fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center, there are also 18 satellite fairs scattered from the Wynwood Wall District to the beachfront. Don’t miss 2015 Art Basel Miami Hot List: Part 1.
ART MIAMI
You Touch Me, 2008 by Tracey Emin / Courtesy of Evelyn Aimis
Art Miami, America’s foremost contemporary art fair, is returning for its 26th edition this December, maintaining its title as the original and longest-running Miami art fair. As the No. 1 ranked international art fair for attendance in the U.S. and second-most attended globally, Art Miami attracts more than 85,000 new and established collectors, curators, museum professionals, press and art world luminaries annually to its 200,000 square foot pavilion in the Wynwood Arts District.
Question to Oblivion, 1978 by Sam Francis / Courtesy of Evelyn Aimis
I always look forward to seeing the heavy hitters shown by Evelyn Aimis at Art Miami. She has earned a world wide reputation as a Fine Art Dealer, specializing in 20th Century Modern & Contemporary Art since 1973. I cannot wait to see two works above by two of my favorite artists, Tracey Emin and Sam Francis.
SCOPE
SCOPE returns to South Beach with 120 exhibitors from 22 countries, plus several special sections including Juxtapoz Presents, the Breeder Program for new galleries and FEATURE, showcasing photography. For a fourth year, the fair collaborates with VH1 on a music series featuring up-and-coming artists. There’s also an invite-only party with recording artists Mack Wilds and Lil’ Dicky on Friday night at Nikki Beach, sponsored by SCOPE, VH1 and BMI.
Be sure to check out first time SCOPE exhbitors LaCa Projects (Booth E19) featuring works by contemporary Latin American artists: Juan Dolhare (Argentina), Carlos Estévez (Cuba),Vicente Hernández (Cuba), Leandro Manzo (Argentina), and Cristina Toro (Puerto Rico). The fantastical paintings of Vicente Hernández (bottom image) weave magnificent stories of escape rife with struggle and triumph, the real and the imaginary, the sadness of departure and the excitement of the journey.
PULSE
PULSE Miami Beach will feature a neon installation by Texas artists Alicia Eggert and Mike Fleming, a sculpture called “Trees” by Gordon Holden, a faux apartment building by Chris Jones, “Over and Under” by Francis Trombly and a small architectural piece inspired by Corbusier by New York artist Jim Osman. The fair’s PLAY section for video and new media will be curated by Stacy Engman.
Am Pola Colour 083 003
Pola 022
Voltz Clarke is also showing again at PULSE featuring the driftwood and neon works of American sculptor Lisa Schulte and Greek photographer Yiorgos Kordakis. Through the juxtaposition of works, Voltz Clarke reveals a conversation between the organic medium of Schulte’s driftwood sculptures and the faded quality of Kordakis’, now obsolete, large-format photography. With Kordakis’ Global Summer photographs, the artist gestures towards ephemerality and transience, and particularly, the underlying similarities revealed in different cultures enjoying the same season. Similarly, Schulte’s organic forms provoke a greater dialogue regarding our relativity and adaptation to the world around us. Through these conceptually rigorous series, what is provoked is the abstraction of the familiar, as both Schulte and Kordakis provide alternate views and modes to experience the routine and everyday.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Libertine, one of the new clubs in downtown Miami’s 24-hour party district, hosts a release party for Nakid Magazine’s latest issue and their cover artist Jen Stark on Friday night, December 4th. Stark recently collab’ed with Miley Cyrus on MTV’s VMA Awards and has a new installation at Miami International Airport. Click here to read more about her work.
The Surf Lodge pops-up all week at The Hall South Beach Hotel (1500 Collins Avenue, South Beach) with a series of invite-only artist dinners, events and performances.
This year’s Jeremy Scott party is on December 2nd, at the Surf Lodge pop-up in The Hall Hotel (1500 Collins Avenue, South Beach).
Miami’s hottest new restaurant/nightclub, El Tucan, (1111 SW 1st Avenue, Miami) is presenting a special series of dinner shows by acclaimed Cuban actress and singer CuCu Diamantes performing with Alain Perez and an 11-piece Latin orchestra on December 3, 4 and 5, with two shows nightly. The club was designed by Robert McKinley (Gold Bar, Ruschmeyers, The Surf Lodge etc.).
Loew’s Miami Beach Hotel (1601 Collins Avenue,South Beach) hosts their second “Body, Art & Movement” event with exhale South Beach on Friday, December 4, 10 a.m. to noon. Along with a special yoga class and DJ, there will be live painting by Jeremy Penn, the hotel’s first artist in residence.
Brooklyn-based artist Spencer Finch is driving his solar-powered ice cream truck cross-country to Miami to deliver “edible monochrome” cones all week. The flavors and colors were inspired by a sunset over Central Park. The truck will park near Hyde Midtown (3401 NE 1st Avenue, Miami) from 1 to 8 p.m. daily.
via PAPER Magazine… is hosting several events during AB/MB. On Tuesday, December 1st, 6 p.m., founding editor David Hershkovits will be “in conversation” at the Miami Edition (2901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) with Fab 5 Freddy and David Koh on the topic, “Art On Film,” followed by a special screening of Koh’s film “Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict.” On Tuesday night (late) and also at the EDITION, PAPER, Silencio, A Hotel Life and One Management host the one-year anniversary of the hotel’s BASEMENT nightclub with DJs Seth Troxler, Nicolas Matar and Orazio Rispo. On Wednesday, December 2nd, 5 to 7 p.m., founding editor Kim Hastreiter and Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale & China Forbes are hosting a “sing-a-long” with various artists, designers and musicians including Yves Behar and Mickalene Thomas — and you! It’s happening in Airbnb’s “Belong. Here. Now.” installation, next to the Design Miami pavilion behind the convention center. Come by and join the fun! A souvenir “Songbook” will be provided, so you’ll know all the lyrics.
*All images courtesy of PAPER and Art Basel unless otherwise noted.
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