The most wonderful time of the year in Miami Beach is frenzy and flamboyant Art Basel Miami Beach. It’s the equivalent of a kid’s excitement while opening the gifts on Christmas day. Magic. 

The best of the best of the art world at our feet for a week. 

The glory of a hell of a lot of good looking people coming from allover Europe and the US and the world. 

Some of the highlights & my own personal wish list.

Vernissage … say what?

You hear that word in Miami just for Art Basel, so chic and aristocratic, and French and imported. It’s a word with a life span of a couple of days a year and its local definition is: that ‘by invitation only’ event attended by everyone who goes to be seen and get that flute of champagne. There are always exceptions who the majority of the cases end up visiting the VIP opening (6 hours prior).

Night Court

(photo by Alexa Karolinski)

Los Angeles- based artist Ry Rocklen promises a blend of art, music and conviviality. A pop-up art bar that will be a pod of art, a venue for music and a showroom for his furniture line “Trophy Modern”. 

Art Basel Miami Beach

250 leading galleries from allover the world and 4,000 artists. Is it there anything else to be added?

Design Miami

Have you ever imagined an entire pavilion with collectible and museum-worthy historical and contemporary furniture and objects d’art? Louis Vuitton and Cassina collaborated in the authentic to-scale reproduction of the 1934 La Maison au Bord de l’Eau by Charlotte Perriand.

PAMM

Ai WeiWei overwhelming installation of Chinese bicycles, vertical gardens, a ‘backyard’ with Adirondack chairs from which to admire the bay or ponder on the art you just admired, hop on the peoplemover from Brickell, breathtaking views from the galleries and just a serious round of last minute gifts totaling about $8 millions and 102 pieces of art from museum trustee Craig Robins

'Social Animals'

(photo - www.artbasel.com)

Iconic Collins Park is transformed into a gigantic outdoor museum. A space that everyone can access. Some 30 large scale installations and the rest is all to be discovered. What a marvelous way of exposing children to art without constricting them to walk into a museum. 

Rubell, Margulies and de la Cruz and it’s love at first sight 

This year the Rubells are sharing their Contemporary Chinese Art and the Margulies show off their de Kooning, Miro, Segal among some. You know where to meet.

Miami Design District

(photo from PAMM media release)

It wouldn’t be me without fashion. Visionaire and art collector Craig Robins is da man here. We are talking about urban design, art and fashion all in one crevice of Miami. A selection from The Warhol Museum, Berluti and Maarten Baas, Cassina and Charlotte Perriand are music for my ears. 

Wynwood Walls 

The Goldmans and their murals and graffiti, we have them all year round, but during Art Basel they have this unique flavor. Miami has never been the same since. 

Curiosity

(photo www.audemarspiguet.com)

Audemars Piguet, an associated partner of Art Basel, with Galerie Perrotin present 'Curiosity' a giant floating Swiss chalet in front of ghostly Miami Marine Museum ideated by Kolkoz.