Nicholas Baume curates Art Basel in Miami Beach’s public sector, helping to integrate the show into the city through large-scale works and live performance at Collins Park. He is also director and chief curator of the Public Art Fund in New York.
To see a performance
Brooklyn Academy of Music has an incredible opera, theater, film, music, and dance program. Last year I saw Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s Einstein on the Beach, the first time this seminal opera had been presented in New York City in 20 years.
To see contemporary art in one of the oldest cities in the United States
The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston is both an architectural triumph by Diller Scofidio & Renfro and a remarkable place to experience contemporary art. As the museum’s chief curator, I worked to establish the permanent collection—which includes works by Kai Althoff, Lucy McKenzie, Thomas Hirschhorn, and Kader Attia—for the opening of the building in 2006.
To debrief after Art Basel
The Standard Hotel’s Lido Restaurant & Bayside Grill is a beautiful outdoor space, right on the water—the ideal spot for a light, fresh dinner.
To see public art
From grand public spaces like Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center to Rockefeller Center Plaza, the most exciting artists in the world present their work in New York. The Doris C. Freedman Plaza at the southeast entrance of Central Park was named for the founder of the Public Art Fund and features new work all year round.
To spend a long weekend
I love to ski, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a great place to escape for a few days in the winter. When the conditions are right, the cowboy powder is like floating on air, and the majestic landscape of the Grand Teton range never fails to take my breath away.
To get out of New York City for the day
Whether arriving early on a Sunday morning for the farmers’ market or joining friends for a dinner that comes straight from the farm just outside, Blue Hill at Stone Barns is less than an hour from the city but feels worlds away.
To see art steps from the beach
Collins Park is situated between the Bass Museum of Art and the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by high-rise hotels, it’s a grassy urban oasis with palm and baobab trees that remind me of my childhood in Australia. This year is the first time that I’m the curator of Art Basel Miami Beach’s outdoor exhibition that is sited here and which I’m calling “Social Animals.”
To take out-of-towners
Brooklyn Bridge Park is a crowd-pleaser for visitors and locals alike. Snaking along the East River, it features art exhibitions set against spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.
