10 Dec Art Basel | Miami 2017 – VIDEO
December has turned out to be a really fun month for me. Especially when art & music collide in Miami, that’s known as Art Basel Miami. Aside from getting into the holiday spirit, it’s a time when I get to jump down to what I like to call the “6th Borough”. Escaping the cold of New York City is always a good idea to me. I have lots of friends and family in Miami, it’s always been my second home. Those dance-floor reunions are the best while checking out the various DJ’s in town for the events. Meeting up with my friends, making new friends, mingling with artists, and checking out art is what Art Basel is to me. Perhaps down the road, I’ll get more knowledgeable and connected to the art scene and I’ll turn into a rookie collector.
This is my 5th straight year attending Art Basel Miami, it’s fun roaming the streets of Wynwood and the Art District (I tend to avoid the madness at the South Beach events) and watching everyone get their fix of Art. Anyone can take advantage of the hype that consumes Miami in December with thousands of visitors from all over the world. Serious collectors and celebrities attend these events to be seen and of course purchase pieces. What I find particularly cool about Art Basel Miami is that it attracts everyone at all stages of their career and respective craft. The starving artist that drives down in his/her van can just set up shop on a sidewalk or take over a side of a warehouse and put up a huge mural. All it takes is a chance to be “Instagram famous”. I swear! an artist said that to me while snapping a picture of her work. The hashtag #artbaselmaimi has been used 348k times, #artmiami has been used 180k times on Instagram, that’s serious exposure. Sleep has turned out to be the loser on the Art Basel trips, there’s just so much going. The restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and galleries are all packed, which is good for the local business and hopefully, the artist gets a boost in sales and exposure.
Each year I visit a different venue and explore them both during the day and night. Obviously there are different vibes during the day, you’ll see more families and obviously, the night crowd is more lively and party driven. But hey that’s what it’s all about – having a good time. There’s a good time to be had almost everywhere you go. We laughed while high-fiving strangers in the street and with all the Uber drivers and the bartenders we laughed with along the way.
This video (I whipped-up on my phone) highlights a walk-around of one the many shows called “Context Art Miami” situated in massive pop-up tents along the bay near the Perez Art Museum. It was the last day of the event and it was packed. We got to see work from some well-known artists like Banksy, Brainwash, Botero, Miss Me, Hush, Matteo Pugliese, and Malcolm Liepke to name a few. http://www.contextartmiami.com