Art Basel Miami Beach always brings out the best in creativity from a worldwide roster of artists. This year, in honor of the event’s 20th anniversary, there’s even more to see thanks to a number of special works popping up around the city. There are murals at Wynwood Walls, an installation by architect German Barnes in the Design District, and new exhibitions at the Museum of Graffiti, just to name a few, plus so many more creative capsules and celebrations in store. Ahead are some highlights not to be missed.
WYNWOOD WALLS
Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum featuring work by graffiti and street artists, has installed murals by 10 internationally beloved artists, including Dasic Fernández (Chile), Leon Keer (the Netherlands), Millo (Italy), Lelin Alves (Brazil), and SHOK-1 (the United Kingdom), among others. There’s also a new mural by Shepard Fairey, who designed President Barack Obama’s iconic “Hope” poster for the 2008 election. In addition, contemporary artist Hebru Brantley’s solo show in the GGA Gallery, located inside the Wynwood Walls, runs through February.
THE MUSEUM OF GRAFFITI
Coinciding with Art Basel Miami Beach, the Museum of Graffiti hosts two new international exhibitions as well as a pop-up sculpture park featuring live music, talks, and limit- ed-edition releases at the Mi Campo Artist Lounge. The grand opening of the indoor/out- door exhibit “Olé” features paintings, sculptures, and murals from four Brazilian graffiti artists: Ise, Thiago Nevs, Finok and Skola. The interactive exhibition “Writers on Wax” show- cases the ties between graffiti and music.
PRIZM ART FAIR, “CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN ART FAIR”
The Prizm 2022 Contemporary African Art Fair is showcasing an assortment of works by artists from Angola, Barbados, Kenya, Portugal, and the African Diaspora. The program will be split into categories, including panels, performances, films, and the art fair itself, with special works from Giana De Dier, Bola Obatuyi, and Senghor Reid on display. The activation, which closes on Dec. 4, is located at 4220 N Miami Avenue.
GERMANE BARNES, “ROCK | ROLL”
Miami-based architect Germane Barnes was granted the 2022 Miami Design District Annu- al Neighborhood Commission, and he presents his multi-scale installation, Rock | Roll, in the Miami Design District at 140 NE 39th Street. Curated by Anava Projects, the installation serves as an ode to Miami Carnival, honoring the city’s BIPOC communities through larger- than-life seating capsules, brightly colored wind chimes and a free-floating dome. It will run through the beginning of the new year.
REGINALD CUNNINGHAM, “BLACK PEARLS”
In his debut solo museum exhibition, photographer Reginald Cunningham captures the historically Black neighborhood of Pearl City, celebrated as one of the earliest African American communities in Florida. Commissioned by the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the “Black Pearls” exhibit is on view now through Jan. 22. “Through the lens of my photography I’m always trying to create affinity for and uplift Black people and the Black experience in this country,” Cunningham says.
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH
Miami Beach Convention Center Nov 29 + 30 for VIP viewings; Dec 1-Dec 3, 2022 for public; artbasel.com
LOUIS VUITTON
The brand has a long history of collaborating with renowned artists and set a high bar ever since 2001 when then creative director Marc Jacobs tapped graffiti artist Stephen Sprouse to create new house motifs — which are still reimagined to this day. This year at Art Basel Miami Beach, the French luxury fashion house will exhibit a selection of works by famed artists. There will be two wax figures of Yayoi Kusama, created by the artist herself; a panda figure sculpture by Takashi Murakami on a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk; paintings by Richard Prince and Alex Katz; a photo by Jean Larivière, and the now iconic Artycapucines collection. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the brand’s collaboration with Yayoi Kusama, exclusive new pieces will be shown to tease an upcoming collaboration. To view all the artwork, visit the Louis Vuitton lounge at Miami Beach Convention Center from Nov. 29-Dec. 3.
ALEXANDRE ARRECHEA EXHIBITION AT VILLA BALMAIN
Cuban contemporary artist Alexandre Arrechea has transported Villa Balmain to the Web3 universe. “Hexagon Garden” is an immersive exhibition that merges Balmain’s heritage with physical art, digital art, and NFTs. Arrechea used state-of-the-art 3D printing and Meta-technologies powered by LITO, a platform to scan, digitize, and 3D print artworks directly with museums, cultural sites, and artists. To kick off the exhibition, which can be viewed at Superblue (1101 NW 23rd Street) from Dec. 1 and 2, Balmain is hosting a celebratory celeb-filled cocktail event on Nov. 30.
SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE “SEX BY MADONNA” EXHIBITION
Saint Laurent is heading South with a special exhibition at Art Basel curated by Madonna and creative director Anthony Vaccarello. In honor of the re-edition by Rive Droite of Madonna’s groundbreaking 1992 book Sex, Saint Laurent Rive Droite will put large-formate images from the book on display in a specially-built beachfront box. When it first published, the book’s photography by Steven Meisel and writing by Madonna sent shock waves around the globe for its erotic content and sexual self-expression. To celebrate the lasting impact it still has 30 years later, 800 copies of Saint Laurent’s re-issue will be published by Callaway and a limited number will be signed by Madonna herself with proceeds benefiting her charity, Raising Malawi. Visitors can stop by the free beachfront display from Nov. 29 through Dec. 4.
CRAIG ROBINS COLLECTION’S “TWO OF THE SAME KIND”
Celebrated developer Craig Robins‘ Collection features a bi-annual rotation of contemporary art exhibits within the Miami Design District headquarters of DACRA. During Art Basel starting on Nov. 30, the Collection will exhibit, “Two of The Same Kind” which highlights the work of artists Marlene Dumas and Jana Euler and centers around the theme of dualism. Other pieces on display will be from Sasha Gordon, Zaha Hadid, Jean Prouvé, Marc Newson and Maarten Baastwo. Plus, there are two portraits by pop icon Andy Warhol, both commissioned decades ago by Craig Robin’s mother and Jackie Soffer’s mother separately.
MAISON PERRIER-JOUËT AND GARANCE VALLÉE’S “PLANTED AIR” EXHIBITION
For Design Miami, Champagne house Maison Perrier-Jouët teamed with the renowned multidisciplinary artist Garance Vallée for the exhibition, “Planted Air.” The artistic installation questions humankind’s relationship to the living world, attesting to the undeniable continuity of all life forms on earth, and symbolic of the interdependent ecosystem that comprises the Champagne vineyard, according to the brand. The concept was also incorporated into a limited-edition bottle design of Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs, which will also be unveiled during Design Miami. You can catch the display at Design Miami from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4.
SOHO BEACH HOUSE MIAMI
Soho Beach House Miami will kick off Miami Art Week festivities on Nov. 26 through Dec. 4 at its beloved Beach Tent with a myriad of talks, art installations, exciting live performances, and can’t-miss pop-ups like Bebito’s Café and Rocky’s Matcha display designed by Willie Stewart. It will also play center stage to artist Nina Chanel Abney’s immersive hallway installation and host performances by Rick Ross, James Blake, Leon Bridges and Dash.
SCOPE ART SHOW
Ocean Drive + 8th Street (on the beach) Nov 29 for VIP viewings; Nov 30-Dec 4 for public; scope-art.com
CONTEXT ART MIAMI
One Herald Plaza – NE 14th and Biscayne Bay, Nov 29 for VIP viewing; Nov 30 – Dec 4 for public; contextartmiami.com
PHILLIP K. SMITH III’s “GARDEN OF REFLECTIONS”
Resy and American Express are presenting a three-night feast for American Express Card Members enrolled in Global Dining Access by Resy with dinners by Michelin and James Beard Award winning chefs Massimo Bottura, Missy Robbins and Mashama Bailey. Each experience will take place in a space featuring an art installation by renowned artist Phillip K. Smith III. His immersive work, titled “Garden of Reflections,” features reflective columnar sculptures that react to the sun, clouds, treetops, and architecture during the day, and the action of the dining experience at night. If you’re not a Global Dining Access member, need not worry. The installation will be open to the public on Nov. 30 from 11 a.m. — 6 p.m at 151 NE 41st St. Just make a reservation to reserve your spot at resy.com.
RUINART’S “RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW” INSTALLATION
The historic champagne house Ruinart is debuting a beachfront interactive installation and lounge during Art Basel titled, “Right Here, Right Now” in collaboration with Danish artist Jeppe Hein. It’s designed to serve as a “mindful escape” for patrons between Art Basel Miami Beach festivities with a custom meditative sound bath experience and exclusive curated sessions led by the artist himself. The installation, located on Collins Park Beachfront between 20th and 21st Streets, was also designed to pay homage to the four essential elements needed to make Ruinart Champagne.
W HOTELS
For the first time, W Hotels is staging an activation during Art Basel. The iconic hotel brand, along with Mambo Creatives, commissioned new works by rising artists Pilar Zeta and Miranda Makaroff, which will be on display at W South Beach from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3. The displays focus on the themes of “transition and transformation and freedom and fluidity” among others.
“We could not think of two more dynamic or relevant artists to collaborate with than Pilar Zeta and Miranda Makaroff,” said Carly Van Sickle, Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, W Hotels Worldwide. “Their bold, yet playful aesthetic as well as the passion they infuse in their work is undeniable. We’re ready to kick off Art Basel Miami Beach with an unforgettable staging of their work at W South Beach and have the energy of our guests add to their visions.”
PRIME VIDEO RICHES ACTIVATION
To celebrate the new series Riches, Prime Video is hosting its first-ever immersive art activation from Dec. 2-3 in the center of Wynwood at Soho Studios. This exhibit, which displays photography, sculpture, painting, music, video and performance art, is dubbed “The Crown We Never Take Off” and celebrates themes within the series such as freedom of expression and identity in the Black diasporic experience. Discover works from boundary-pushing artists like Marryam Noma, Carlos Idun-Tawiah, Tammie Knight, and Morel Doucet.
MARIO CARBONE’S “OUR LADY OF ROCCO” POP-UP
Last year, the womenswear brand La Ligne teamed with famed chef and restaurateur Mario Carbone (yes, of that Carbone) for the clothing collaboration dubbed, Our Lady of Rocco. This year, the two are pairing up again for a 1980s-inspired limited-edition collection of menswear pieces including a satin bomber, statement T-shirts, trousers and luxe wool cap, embroidered with the brand’s signature crown logo. There will also be bespoke tailoring of Nino Cerruti suits and blazers at the collab’s Art Basel pop-up. You can visit and shop the selection at ZZ’s Club from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3.
THE MACALLAN ART INSTALLATIONS
To launch The M Collection, an array of limited single malt whiskeys, The Macallan partnered with Art Basel to display artworks throughout the week, including the Double Spey Cast copper light installation at The Bass Museum on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, which pays homage to River Spey where the Macallan was born. Another installation by Jorge Méndez Blake was inspired by The Macallan’s intrinsic connectedness to nature and will be on display on Nov. 29. Plus, the whiskey brand will also host a private party at The Bass Museum on Dec. 2 including the installations and a performance by James Blake.
LEON LÖWENTRAUT
24-year-old artist Leon Löwentraut is making a big name for himself in the art space through his colorful, abstract pieces and he’s making a splash during Art Basel Miami Beach with no less than three exhibitions taking place. At Art Miami, four of Löwentraut’s pieces will be on display by Galerie Rother at One Herald Plaza starting on Nov. 29. The next day, Rudolf Budja Gallery will present a solo show from Löwentraut titled “Reflection of a Soul” with 12 large-scale works. Rudolf Budja Gallery will also be present at Art Miami, where a painting by Löwentraut will be on view. “It’s a dream come true!” says Löwentraut. “I’m already very excited about Miami’s vibrant art scene.”
MEGAN NUTT’S EXHIBITION
Social media influencer, Megan Nutt (@Megnutt02), is debuting her first ever art show during Art Basel 2022. She’s hosting the exclusive unveiling at a private mansion on Hibiscus Island where her personally-curated sculptures will be on display. The sculptures are handmade glass smoking devices from artists Eusheen, Patrick Lee, Lace Face, Robertson, OilBrothers, Whitebread, Mvv Glass, and Kinda Glass.
VIRGIL ABLOH: THE CODES
Miami’s Rubell Museum unveiled the Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture exhibit during Miami Art Basel, presented by Nike. Notable guests from Abloh’s wife Shannon, designer Riccardo Tisci, rapper Travis Scott, actress Shay Mitchell, DJ Zack Bia, and more viewed the sprawling and comprehensive exhibition, detailing the longstanding relationship between the late designer and Nike. To kick off its limited time on display, a private viewing of the retrospective was followed by a dinner and afterparty, hosted by Don Julio 1942. The A-list attendees sipped on cocktails from the luxury premium tequila brand before sitting down for dinner at ZZ’s Club in the heart of Miami’s Design District, and were serenaded by DJ Pedro Cavaliere’s soundtrack for the evening.
Read GRAZIA Gazette: Art Basel, Edition 2:
