That one week of the year when everyone dresses extra, attends to the fanciest events, and has a sudden interest in all forms of art.
Art Basel has been around for almost 20 years in South Florida. It first launched in 2002, and since then it has become one of United State's top art fairs. Art Basel not only has created an immense platform for art galleries to show and sell their work, but also has increased the 'regular' public's interest in art.
Crowds from all over the world gather in the host metropolitan city. Only three cities have the privilege to host this kind of event: Basel (Switzerland), Miami Beach (Florida, USA) and Hong Kong. The annual art show focuses on modern and contemporary art from the most prestigious artists and young talents.
As a reference, the 2019 edition in over five days attracted 81,000 visitors including private collectors and directors, curators, trustees and patrons of nearly 200 museum and institution groups.*
That sounds good, but...
What exactly should I expect?
The 2021 edition will be held November 30 through December 04 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Tickets are exclusively available online, so get yours here. This year the floor will be divided in the following sectors: Galleries (featuring works from top galleries), Edition (editioned pieces), Nova (works created within the past three years), Positions (emerging artists), Survey (works created before the 2000s), Kabinett (galleries showcase curated presentations in a separate section of their booth) and Meridians (monumental and immersive artworks).
The 2021 edition will be the breakthrough of digital art. Expect to see NFTs alongside traditional collectible paintings and sculptures. Art Basel Live will bring all the excitement to the digital world. There will be online viewing rooms that will feature hundreds of artworks, and conversation panels to discuss the current issues that shape the culture.
Parties, events, cocktail hours
Everyone knows that Art Basel goes way beyond the walls of the Convention Center. During that week all of Miami becomes party central, you can almost smell art in the air... if that's even a thing. Most restaurants, event venues, galleries, take advantage of the huge crowds this art fair attracts to throw some massive parties. Some more artsy and wild than others, there's something for everyone. Here's a list of the hottest events during Art Basel week.
In case you're not down to spending a hundred bucks on tickets to an event, there's always some free options available to the public. We will be keeping an eye on The Faena Hotel public art by the beach, The Design District’s Moore Building “Shattered Glass” exhibition by Jeffrey Deitch, and the "Five Echoes" installation -a collaboration between Chanel and the artist Es Devlin- at the Design District’s Jungle Plaza.