So you think you can Basel? Or I think I can. Next week I’m headed to Miami next week to check out one of the biggest art events in the world Art Basel Miami! From December 6-9 thousands of artists, critics, writers, curators, dealers, collectors, investors, celebrities, socialites, activists, hippies, and art lovers (like me) will be in South Florida for the worlds largest contemporary art fair. More about the history here.
As a result loads of parallel conferences and festivals also popped up around the same time to take advantage of all this social, intellectual and financial capital so it’s also being called Miami Art Week. Other major fairs in Miami Art Week are: Scope Miami Beach (Dec 4-9), Design Miami (Dec 5-9), Art Miami (Dec 4-9), Faena Festival, Context Art Miami (Dec 4-9), Aqua Art Miami (Dec 5-9), New Wave Art Wknd (Nov 30-Dec 2), Art of Black Miami, Red Dot Miami (Dec 5-9) and many, many more. There are so many satellite events that there’s going to be a free shuttle moving between Miami and Miami Beach.
As I started researching my trip it became clear that there was no way that I was going to be able to see everything so I had to think about what my goals for the weekend. As a somewhat of a dilettante and newcomer to the “Art World” I don’t have very many connections and I’m not in the market to invest in a collectible so I decided to forgo the cost effort to get into the VIP preview events. I do however want to learn more about the business of art so I have tickets for official Art Basel programming. As someone who cares a lot about emerging artists of color I over-indexed on events related to my affinity. Sugarcane Magazine does a fantastic job of curating a comprehensive list called Black and Basel. Last but not least I want to have fun, meet cool new people, explore my horizons with funky experience, and dance my butt off.
There are so so so many events happening this is just a taste of some that I think I will partake in:
Galleries, Art Shows, and and Exhibitions
Damon Davis, Darker Gods in The Garden of The Low Hanging Heavens
“Challenges the West’s perception of blackness through powerful imagery that reimagines religious deities as people of color. The multimedia exhibit mixes sound, photography, film, illustration and written word.”
December 6 |Homecourt
“A curated gallery event inspired by our love of basketball. Bringing artists from across the country to showcase their artwork, collaborative live painting experience, and featuring a one of a kind mural by known graffiti artist Birdcap x Amin Zahiry & Local Hoops interactive basketball hoops installation”
December 7 | Studio Visit Pepe Mar
“Visit the studio of Miami-based artist Pepe Mar. Through experimental processes, Mar creates kaleidoscopic environments that draw from a wide array of sources, addressing the state of contemporary culture.”
December 7 |Fringe Projects: Free Range
“A night of performances orchestrated by artist Tschabalala Self and producer Michael Mosby. The performances take place near the site of Self’s installation in Downtown Miami. Free Range @ 777 Mall will be headlined by multidisciplinary artists RaFiA Santana. The line-up for the event will also include DJs Fulathela, Young Wavy Fox and Loka. ”
Hajar Benjida, Young Thug as Paintings
“Pays homage to the cultural capital of Jeffery Lamar Williams, better known as Young Thug, one of the most influential musical artists of this generation by juxtaposing him with some of history’s most revered works of art.”
December 8 |Creator Connect Artist Showcase
December 9 |the BLCK family x Locust Projects @ Untitled
“Using the Visual, Auditory and Emotive of the Ocean as a foundation, the BLCK family in partnership with Locust Projects will produce a performance piece in collaboration with Tap Dancer Cartier Williams, Poet Aja Monet and Pianist Samora Pinderhughes. Physically, The elements will exist in a detached formation, challenging the viewers attention to each segment while reframing the narrative around collaboration.”
Lectures,Artist Talks, and Receptions
December 6 | AfriCOBRA: Messages to the People
“MOCA presents 1960s artist collective AfriCOBRA (whose name stands for African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists) in this momentous retrospective, celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary. See the brightly colored works of Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell and others that helped define the aesthetics of the Black Arts Movement”
December 7 |Daniel Stanford Art Basil Reception
“Unveiling – new works by DANIEL STANFORD, luminary of the pop novo genre and YANLUIS BERGARECHE a masterful, world – renowned contemporary artist of Cuban descent, debut’s his ‘obras’ for the first time in North America.”
December 8 |Finding Art-Fair Art That Matters
“A practical discussion featuring art fair veterans”
December 9 | Breakfast in the Park at the Frost Museum featuring Elizabeth Turk
“Each year since 2004, the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum has welcomed guests to enjoy a complimentary breakfast, a lecture by a noted sculptor, and guided tours of our Sculpture Park and exhibitions”
December 9 |Art of Black: The Annual Art Basel Panel Discussion on Contemporary African Diaspora Art
“the “go to event” for Global Contemporary Africana Art Discourse during the Art Basel Season in South Florida. The 2018 panel will include Nigerian performance artist Jelili Atiku, African-American art writer, Julie Walker, Egyptian Artist, Shatha Al-Deghady, Jamaican Canadian American curator, Sebastian Grant and African-American art appraiser, Valerie Cooper.”
Pop Ups and Experiential Events
December 5-7 |ARTECHOUSE
“Abstract Landscape, a series of interactive installations, by artists Adrien M & Claire B, providing an exploratory physical experience through ten virtual environments generated using math and physics models.”
December 5 | ARIA| Lemon City Studios
“A R I A: the ultimate Opera Show A R I A is a new event’s format in which Music and Art become one, transcending the ordinary and opening to a new style’s perspective”
December 7 |HYPER SPEED: Art Basel 2018
“An unforgettable evening filled with technicolor, multicultural parades of DJ’s, music artists, fashion designers, hype beasts, and the star-obsessed. Gearing up where design, hip hop, and dance music will deliver the coolest style that is sure to make noise.”
December 7-8 |The Art Plug Power House
“A sensory playground that sees a mix of art and programmed experiences …[in a converted] historic 30,000 square foot police impound into an interactive contemporary art gallery. ”
December 7-8 |GodArt X Dreams and Visions: An Interactive Multi-art Experience
“Dreams and Visions is an annual faith-based Interactive multi-art experience hosted by GodArt during Miami Art Week. Our mission is to challenge, engage, motivate and awaken creatives from across the world to discover their creative God-given DNA, unveil their dreams, and execute their visions”
December 7-9 |Basel House Mural Festival
“Where eclectic music, innovative unique vendors, and new-age art installations from across the globe come together to create an un-paralleled experience”
Parties and Performances
Whether you like Paul Oakenfeld, Action Bronson, Die Antwoord, Calvin Harris, DJ Khaled, or Paris Hilton there are a ton of DJ sets and concerts happening this week below are a couple that stood out to me.
December 5 | Robert Glasper with Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, and DJ Jahi Sundance
December 5 | Masquerade Miami
December 5 | RnBae Collective & Lunchbox INTL Presents: Bae Basel
December 6 |Boom Basel with Flying Lotus and Virgil Abloh
December 7 |Ninja Tune Basel- Bonobo, Yves Tumor, Octo Octa
December 7 |Africoco Takes You To The Afrofuture
December 7 |You Had To Be There. @ Basel Miami
December 8 | Questlove DJ Set
December 8 | ZHU DJ Set with Channel Tres
As I mentioned I am definitely a beginner but by the end I hope to gain new perspectives and eventually become a pro at on how to have a great Miami Art Week. Bises!
Follow me on Social Media. I’ll be posting photos all week!
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Proper Primer 
