By Virginia Villari

News Flash! Art Basel Miami Beach is around the corner and it’s time to get excited! This marvelous event (Nov. 28th – Dec 5th) has plenty of creativity and fun to offer and it’s definitely the best week of the year to visit or discover Miami. After 5 years of participation and attendance we got an idea of what is worth seeing and doing among the myriad of art fairs, events and parties happening every day and night during this week. Here are our tips. Enjoy the show!

Art fairs

In addition to Art Basel at the Convention Center we recommend:

Scope: international emerging and cutting-edge contemporary art.  This fair is definitely our favorite: here you’ll see the best new proposals by international contemporary artists. Location: 801 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach.

Pulse: emerging and established contemporary art with a focus on new media. Location: Indian Beach Park, 4601 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.

Miami Projects: At its 5th edition, this young fair has been making headlines for the international high quality art and relatively affordable prices. Location: 6625 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach.

Art Miami: One of the oldest Art Basel Miami Beach’s satellite fairs and one that has nothing to envy to Art Basel itself. Covering mainly American contemporary art, here you’ll admire the work of established artists as well as renowned, international modernist masters. Location: 48 NW 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127

Untitled: an international art fair focused on the curatorial aspect of presenting art: the whole fair presents itself as a curated path of internally curated booths. A good outcome of this approach is the balance across artistic disciplines and the presence of galleries, non-profit art spaces and institutions. Location: 1201 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach.

Aqua: this is a one of-a-kind art fair. If not for the art on display (some years we saw very innovative creations and others nothing to take note of), it’s the setting that’s really worth a visit! Aqua is, in fact, an hotel and the rooms are used as the galleries’ booths. A nice way to help collectors see the artworks in a living scenario as opposed to a white cube. Location: 1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

Street art in the Wynwood Art District: 

There’s no defined agenda for the numerous street artists who, from all over the world, come down to Miami every year during the Art Basel Week to make up the face of the Wynwood Art District. Although you’ll find the work of many of these artists at art fairs as well, it’s definitely not the same experience to spot them painting walls, live in front of you. Our advice is then to take a walk around Wynwood (particularly on N Miami Avenue and on NW 2nd ave between 20th and 30th streets) during those days and go see the murals, finished or in the making, which these artists adorn the neighborhood with. Street artists are usually a lot more laid back than visual/ fine artists so it should be pretty easy to meet and talk to them if you happen to see them at work.

Miss Van at work on a wall in Wynwood

Wall by Retna

Wall by Eduardo Cobra 

Parties

In recent years the Art Basel Miami Beach week has also become an occasion for many electronic music labels to throw their showcase parties during the Miami Art Week, emphasizing the arty side of the electronic music production and scene in a city that’s been always very supportive of this genre.

– A Week of Parties at The Basement (the Edition Hotel’s club). Caravan Gitane on Dec. 1st and DJ Harvey Extended Set on Dec. 3rd are definitely not to be missed!
https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?904352

If you wish to combine fun, great electronic music and supporting a good cause this is the party for you. Parties4Peace is a non-profit organization that produces parties around the world to raise funds to support various social and cultural initiatives focused on education, sustainability and disaster relief. 

The title of this 2-day party speaks for itself…”Where are my keys?” is a question that we all asked ourselves at some point at a party 🙂 The first day the “All Day I Dream” crew will take you on magic, deep-house journey, while day #2 will take place at an iconic spot for the Miami electronic music scene: The Electric Pickle with a techno party monster such as DJ Moodymann. 

https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?891931

If you fancy a cool, daytime party and some delicious American BBQ, this is the one for you: “Dirtybird” started with a grill and some speakers in San Fran and, it’s been expanding in the last ten-plus years to several other cities. And you can be sure about the awesomeness of the music: Claude Vonstroke is a real master chef!
https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?896397

Check out our last minute availabilities for your accommodation in Miami during Art Basel: http://www.creamhotel.com/destination/miami/