Swarovski commissioned Mexico City architecture and design firm Fernando Romero Enterprise to create an installation that explored humans’ relationship with the sun. Composed of 2,880 custom-made Swarovski crystals, the work, called “El Sol,” was a geodesic structure scaled to one billion times smaller than the sun. Swarovski celebrated the work at a dinner December 3 at Soho Beach House penthouse produced by Shiraz Events. This year marked Swarovski’s 10th year partnering with Design Miami.
Design Miami makes an opening statement each year with a new, thought-provoking entrance pavilion. This year it held a design competition among students from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. The winning entry, dubbed “Unbuilt,” featured 3-D foam models of unrealized design projects that were arrayed in a sort-of canopy.
Art Basel official sponsor BMW announced the short list for the BMW Art Journey at an Argentinian barbecue December 3 at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The company shared information about the project, which selects an emerging artist to undertake a work-related journey, in the BMW Lounge set up in the garden.
Temporary tattoo brand Tattly offered six custom designs created for Art Basel at its “Parlor Station” in the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The Brooklyn-based company is a partner of Art Basel’s crowdfunding initiative, which Art Basel and Kickstarter founded to promote select nonprofit visual arts organizations.
At Scope art fair, VH1 sponsored a lounge to promote its upcoming hip-hop movie The Breaks. Viacom's special events team produced the event. The film is set in New York City in the 1990s, so the look of the lounge included several references to the era and culture, including at the food stands.
The lounge featured hip-hop apparel, and guests could listen to playlists curated by Q-Tip at headphone stations. Decor elements such as a bowl full of pagers, sneakers hanging by their laces from overhead power lines, and catering trays plastered with albums from artists such as Lil’ Kim continued the theme.
The DJ booth had a throwback look, with space for speakers and albums on shelves built into its façade.
The art collective Dawn of Man created digital projections at Mondrian South Beach, presenting them on unusual surfaces such as the hotel's pool after it had been covered in ping-pong balls. A number of different images were on display during the Objekt Magazine & Ruinart Party December 3.
The billowing wall of a poolside cabana also served as a projection surface. In addition to Dawn of Man images, guests also saw a preview of the Spring 2016 collection from Canadian fashion designer Marie Saint Pierre.
Vanity Fair brought its Social Club concept to Art Basel after successful campaigns during the Oscars and the Emmys. The lounge, open December 3 to 5 at the Wolfsonian-Florida International University, featured programming that included film screenings, panel discussions and interviews led by Vanity Fair editors, and brand activations. The co-working space NeueHouse helped curate the programming.
Lincoln Motor Company sponsored an immersive activation called “Sound of Luxury” that invited guests to sit in a 2016 Lincoln MKX and experience its Revel audio system with a light show.
The lounge offered bloggers and journalists space to work as well as treats from sponsor activations. Sisley-Paris offered beauty appointments in a lounge-within-a-lounge. Other sponsors with activations included Nespresso and Movado.
Design Miami presented its Visionary Award to Yves Béhar at a 400-person dinner December 2 sponsored by watch brand Officine Panerai. Ainsworth Associates produced the event, which took place in a tent in the design district. The menu from caterer Creative Edge Parties started with snapper crudo followed by pan-seared striped bass, Meyer lemon sorbet, and an array of sweets including tiramisu bites, lavender shortbread, chewy chocolate caramel tarts, and hazelnut biscotti.
Pastry chef Dominique Ansel debuted his first pop-up in South Florida with a soft-serve window at the Setai hotel in Miami Beach. Ansel created two flavors: caramel stout with chocolate “caviar” and sea salt brownie (pictured) and burrata with balsamic caramel, confit strawberry, and micro basil. The pop-up was intended to be a two-day event but ended after its first day on December 2 after the ice cream sold out.
Five designers contributed to the fourth Elle Decor Modern Life Concept House, a 6,000-square-foot loft at the 250 Wynwood condominium building. They were: Matthew MacDonald, Daniele Busca, Sam Robin, Elizabeth Martin, and Fernando Wong. Private events at the house included a breakfast and an evening V.I.P. kickoff catered by the Genuine Hospitality Group. The public was invite to purchase tickets to view the space throughout Miami Art Week.
Corona’s Electric Beach event series came to Miami Beach, with Chilean street artist Dasic Fernandez creating a live art installation at the Clevelander on December 5. The artist spray-painted a 10- by 10-foot mural on a wall covered in vinyl records.
New York-based Bounce Sporting Club popped up at Hyde Beach Miami for a December 4 event. Decor mixed classic New York images like subway stops with the Hyde logo.
Artist Jay West created a live art installation by applying paint to two bikini-clad models and guiding their movement on a canvas.
Museum of Modern Art Design Store opened its first pop-up during Miami Art Week. Located at Delano and working with the Skateroom, the store featured a limited-edition series of skate decks featuring artwork by Andy Warhol, made in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Spotify curated a special playlist at a brunch the music streaming service hosted with the art and fashion publication Visionaire at the Soho Beach House penthouse on December 3. Guests could take home prints featured in the Visionaire 65 Free issue and were also invited to try the Spotify Concierge program.
The cycling studio SoulCycle previewed its offerings at an outdoor pop-up at 1 Hotel South Beach, where it plans to open a studio in January. While riders sweated through a workout, artist Gregory Siff created a custom installation on site using acrylic paint and paint pens on wood panels. The pop-up, which ran December 1 to 4, also featured live DJ sets.
Guests tried out an interactive oceanic virtual reality experience called “Cry Out: the Lonely Whale Experience” at a December 4 event sponsored by Dell at Maps Backlot. The actor Adrian Grenier, Dell’s “Social Good Advocate,” curated an oceanic art gallery and announced the launch of his Lonely Whale Foundation.
Guests were invited to a construction site for a lecture on art and sustainability and an art unveiling on December 1 called “Illuminate the Night.” Swire Properties, which is readying Brickell City Centre to open next year, hosted the inaugural lighting of the “Climate Ribbon,” a 150,000-square-foot elevated glass trellis. The evening also saw the debut of the six-ton “Dancers” sculpture by Allen Jones. Actor Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie performed a DJ set for the 400 guests.
Co-working space WeWork brought its series of warehouse parties to Miami for an event at Thompson Miami Beach on December 3. Hosted with artists FriendsWithYou, the gathering had a “house party” theme. DJ DZA played a set of late 1990s, hip-hop, and old-school music at a pop-art Barbra Streisand DJ booth. The Workshop produced the event.
With the goal of translating the colors of the sunset into soft-serve ice cream, artist Spencer Finch devised a solar-powered ice cream truck and offered free treats. The “Sunset (Central Park)” concept previously appeared at the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis and in Central Park. In Miami, the truck was parked next to the sales center for Hyde Midtown Suites & Residences from December 1 to 5.
Low-fi design like glittery balloons and beach balls were part of the decor at Nylon magazine’s F*** Winter Night Brunch at Dream South Beach. The Fat Jew hosted the event, making an entrance by throwing condoms at guests. White Girl Rosé was the other presenting sponsor of the event.
A series of events drew more than 6,000 people to the National YoungArts Foundation campus during Art Basel. Programming included the YoungArts and III Points Presents Art Basel Miami Beach music series with artists such as FKA Twigs and James Blake; the gatherings took place in a tent on the YoungArts Campus.
The Teepee Project, featuring two 22-foot hand-painted teepees by artists Jen Stark and Misaki Kawai, were on display at Mondrian South Beach from December 2 to 14. The hotel launched the project with a dinner party on the property.
Paper magazine celebrated its "Break the Internet" issue featuring Kim Kardashian at the parking garage event space 11 11 Lincoln Road. Title sponsor HP integrated its Sprout workstation into several activities for guests. The devices were preloaded with photos of the 200 guests, who could then place their face on content from the issue. Guests could also create their own propaganda to run for "President of the Internet," a feature in from the magazine. Another activity invited guests to fill out their own Mr. Mickey Questionnaire, a take on the "Reserved" feature by editorial director Mickey Boardman. Finally, guests could scan props such as fruit and flamingos to create “wish you were here” postcards. In addition, four artists created live art at the heads of each table using the devices.
For dinner, Manhattan Neon created the table runner, which incorporated press quotes from the likes of Vanity Fair, Time, CBS News, and others about Paper's "Break the Internet" issue. Jessica Boncutter from Bar Jules in San Francisco curated and designed the menu, which then was executed by Bill Hansen Catering.
Following a collaboration at Frieze London, BMW i and Soho Beach House again hosted an art talk and reception to mark Art Basel Miami Beach. DJ Brendan Fallis set up in front of drawings of the BMW i series electric cars at the December 2 event.
Street artist Mr. Brainwash painted a 2015 Maserati GranTurismo at the Art, Speed, and Design event hosted by Italian design house Pininfarina on December 6 at the luxury car showroom and art gallery Lou La Vie. Pininfarina is opening its first United States office in Miami and also used the event to show off its designs.
Cars also factored into the Revolt Blended Cultures event held December 6 at Miami's Brisky Gallery. Guests who tweeted with the #MakeYourMark hashtag would trigger a paintball that splattered onto a canvas behind a Toyota Corolla. A screen displayed the Twitter handle of the guest as the paintball fired.
The event for the youth-oriented TV music network also featured live painting, with artist Demont Pinder creating images of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, two unarmed black youths who were shot to death.
Karla Conceptual Event Experiences catered a V.I.P. preview of 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, a luxury development slated to open next year. The December 5 brunch included passed hors d'oeuvres such as fresh Florida avocado tartare over colorful tuber crisps with hackleback caviar and crème fraiche.
For the preview, Plant the Future provided installations that covered the theme of nature as art. The theme worked well with 1 Hotel & Homes, which has an eco-friendly ethos.
A floating terrarium installation by Plant the Future incorporated succulents and other flora set in sand. It overlooked a chalkboard that was marked with relevant event hashtags.
Architectural Digest brought back its AD Oasis for the fourth year, this time designed by Thom Filicia. The outdoor lounge at the James Royal Palm hotel offered comforts such as foosball and mobile charging stations from AT&T Wireless as well as inspiring design such as the Sunbrella Rope installation.
The AD Oasis hosted a full slate of programming December 4 to 6 and worked with art partners such as Indiewalls to create art on site. Artist Mike Serafino painted a vibrant beach scene from a space near the entrance of the event.
Sponsor Caesarstone provided stone surfaces for the bars—as well as a custom ping-pong table. Bright blue paddles featured the company's logo as well as the event's logo.
Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade hosted an event to launch his Third Element sneakers, which he designed with Alejandro Ingelmo and Li-Ning. Divine Delicacies created a cake replica of the gold-hued sneakers.
A number of performers, including a nearly nude model who sported the sneakers, provided outre entertainment for the 350 guests. The event was produced by Funkshion Productions.
The event, held at the Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach, included aerialists, strolling tables, talking doorways, and other performers.
Located next to the Scope Miami Beach fair, the Heienken House Live Art Pyramid consisted of 12 walls that were painted by various artists over a six-day period. The structure measured more than 35 feet tall and featured the artists' names and Twitter handles.
A colorful and well-stocked champagne cart made the rounds at a pool party at the Shore Club sponsored by Perrier-Jouët. The H.wood Group and John Terzian renamed the property the "Bootsy Bellows Hotel" and hosted a number of pop-up performances and events during Art Basel. The pool party was the final event on Sunday.
Guests gathered for brunch and cocktails followed by the groundbreaking for the One Thousand Museum residential building, which is being designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The walls of the space were covered in custom murals by Jona Cerwinske.
Jona Cerwinske designed a custom DJ booth for the Art & Architecture Experience kickoff party on December 4, which preceded the One Thousand Museum groundbreaking.
Petit Pois Events and Catering produced the party as well as the groundbreaking and created an ice bar that was used at both events.
Swarovski hosted a dinner to celebrate its commissioned installation from architect Jeanne Gang, "Thinning Ice," for Design Miami. About 125 guests attended the Shiraz Events-designed December 2 event at Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House.
The tabletops had loose Swarovski crystals strewn across it, as well as Swarovski glitter box lanterns and crystal job lots in blue hues. Another crystal element: DJ Alex Merrell wore crystallized Swarovski headphones throughout the evening.
The Official VH1 & Scope Party, now in its third year, incorporated the event's plus-shaped logo into the stage design and lighting. VH1 and parent company Viacom produced the event, which was held at Mansion nightclub on December 5. The plus signs were made up of nexus light squares and would flash, show patterns, or change color to suit the music.
Danish singer-songwriter Nabiha (pictured) performed at the show, as did Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean.
Sponsor AT&T invited guests to contribute to a digital graffiti wall at the Official VH1 & Scope Party.
Artist and calligrapher Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic hand-painted hundreds of feet of Japanese synthetic paper, creating an art installation that event planners described as the longest continuous painting shown during this year's art fairs.
Sponsor Fiat revived a classic guessing game by inviting guests to estimate the number of beach balls crammed in its Fiat 500L model. The car company gave prizes to winners.
Ronen Rental Boutique Event Furnishings provided the furniture at the VH1 lounge at Scope Miami Beach fair.
The artist Mr. Brainwash finished an art installation at the launch party of new restaurant Cibo Wine Bar South Beach. He spray-painted over a collage of luggage tags marked with Miami's "MIA" airport code.
Performers from Circ X entertained guests at the Soho Beach House and White Cube Gallery Beachside Party December 2.
Picture frames of various sizes and materials, along with product displays, made for an attractive press wall at the fifth annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series celebration, which took place at Soho Beach House on December 4. The Artisan Series is a competition for emerging visual artists and tied to Scope Miami Beach art fair.
Artfully designed bottles of Bombay Sapphire were displayed at the event. Samsung tablets provided information about the artists whose work appeared throughout Soho Beach House—as well as their favorite gin cocktail. The cocktail pairings were inspired by each of the 12 regional finalist’s cities.
Actress Rosario Dawson presented her manager, Evan Hainey, with an on-brand birthday cake that used mini bottles of Bombay Sapphire as candle holders. The cake's inscription read, “Evan—You’re the BOMBay!”
Spike TV introduced its new furniture design competition show Framework at an event December 5 at W South Beach. The event featured eclectic furniture, including some pieces used from the show's set.
Visitors to the 10th anniversary of Design Miami entered through an eye-catching pavilion from Minneapolis-based designer Jonathan Muecke. The entrance pavilion has become a signature of the event, and this year's design featured curved walls in bright monochromatic hues—red and green within and blue and yellow on the outside. The simplicity of the structure was designed as a visual respite from the stimulating environment of the fair inside.
Guests could lounge on an unusual collection of pool floaties from Pool Party, a limited-edition collection of pool toys curated by Grey Area. The colorful collection was on display at an event December 5 at Soho Beach House.
Chrome Hearts, a Los Angeles-based accessories, leather, and furniture company, opened a Miami store with an event December 3. It included a performance by Zoe Kravitz of Lolawolf and a DJ set by Atlanta DeCadenet-Taylor. Owners Laurie Lynn Stark and Richard Stark designed the interiors, including the counter and bar stools at its David’s Café.
IWC Schaffhausen hosted the ''Timeless Portofino'' gala December 3 at the W South Beach hotel. The dinner was held in the ballroom, where guests could view a photo exhibition from photographer Peter Lindbergh.
