For the third year in a row, Art Basel, Switzerland's most comprehensive international art show, took over Miami. And along with a slew of art exhibitions came patrons, artists, and exciting events.
Preshow festivities began on November 30 when art world A-listers descended on the Delano hotel for a Latin-inspired poolside party featuring passed appetizers of grouper ceviche and traditional Latin treats including croquetas, empanadas, and papa rellena (stuffed potatoes). The next course was hearty Latin fare such as ropa vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce), chicken and rice, and a whole roasted pig. Cocktails flowed compliments of Diageo and featured the full line of Smirnoff vodkas.
Elite cigar maker Dunhill set up shop in a cabana where lovely ladies explained the finer points of stogie smoking and offered samples according to each guest's tastes. Cuban songstress Albita took the stage to perform. Her tribute to the late salsa queen Celia Cruz really got the crowd moving.
The shallow end of the Delano's pool featured a floating floral centerpiece of four spheres of assorted white flowers connected by a string of electric lights made to look like candles. The effect was more abstract art than flower arrangement.
On opening night, the beach was alive with artists and art aficionados. On December 1, the area of Collins Park between 21st and 22nd Streets was packed for one of many Art Basel events—Art Positions. Twenty cutting-edge galleries showcased their works in unusual spaces—shipping containers that were turned into exhibition galleries. Basel architects Steinmann and Schmid installed white walls inside the containers, and equipped them with natural light and ceiling lamps and air-conditioning to keep the crowds visiting the space comfortable. The Art Café, set up directly on the sand, provided refreshments for the evening. DJs from Crobar spun music, and Diageo mixed up cocktails—making it a hip and artsy time for all.
The following evening, patrons gathered at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) for Party on the Plaza. Hors d'oeuvres by Le Basque Inc., live music by Suenalo Sound System, temporary exhibits from MAM and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and video works by Magdalena Fernandez and Ferran Martin were set up for all to enjoy.
Also on December 2 was Art Basel Conversations, an event featuring conversations with six artists about life, art, and other topics important to the arty set. The event's planner, producer, and caterer, Switzerland-based Gamma Catering, chose a nautical theme, and hired AVS Entertainment to bring it to life.
When guests entered the Moore Building, a four-story building with an atrium in Miami's Design District, the ground floor looked like a giant aquarium. AVS projected life-size and lifelike re-creations of fish swimming in the ocean onto the building's walls. Subtle blue and green lighting from PRG accented the projections. Blue drinks sat atop small bars made of white wooden planks that lined the entire hallway, which led to the stairway up to the second floor. Guests walked directly up the steps, and instead of seeing through to the ground level, AVS stretched fabric across the opening and projected images of water and swooping seagulls onto it, creating a realistic representation of looking over the side of a ship onto the sea.
As hors d'oeuvres and drinks were passed, guests were asked to return to the ground level where event sponsor Bulgari set up displays of baubles. The air conditioning was lacking, but the decor looked great. The room was turned into a lounge with furniture from Kartell. Caterwaiters served seafood delicacies from stacked Lucite trays. The final surprise of the evening came when AVS turned the ceiling of stretched material into the daytime sky with projections of birds flying and blue skies.
On December 4 the Miami Art Museum's (MAM) held its biggest fund-raiser, which had a winter theme. Barton G transformed the Radisson Hotel Miami ballroom into a snowy wonderland with a palette of winter white and cool blue. Centerpieces overflowing with white roses and hydrangeas towered over glass vases filled with white candles. At one end of the room, a row of bare-branched trees was placed in front of a backdrop of a snow-covered forest, which complemented the shimmering metallic linens and silver chairs.
Art Basel's hot ticket Friday night was the Wolfsonian Museum's garden-party-style celebration. Held in the courtyard of the Miami Beach Best Western, the event was conceived by international tastemaker and founder of Nest magazine Joe Holtzman and designed by Kate and Andy Spade.
Pastel colored paper lanterns lit the packed courtyard where guests gathered to view New Mexico artist Richard Tuttle's multimedia work of spotlights and streamers cascading down the front of the Wolfsonian's facade. Famed New York fireworks house Grucci collaborated with the artist to produce a brief but spectacular show of pyrotechnics from the building's rooftop.
The young and hip crowd sipped "Orange-tinis," a specialty drink created by A Joy Wallace Catering Production. The Miami-based company also provided artfully prepared appetizers at the V.I.P. preparty held inside the museum, where Perrier-Jouet champagne was sipped throughout the night. Upon exiting the soiree, V.I.P. guests received specially designed Jack Spade gift bags.
Adding to the evening's coolness quotient, the DJ was none other than celebrated designer Todd Oldham, whose Apple Powerbook kept the party pumping with booty-shaking disco and 80's pop.
—Stephen Bridges, Vanessa Goyanes, and Shari Lynn Rothstein
Preshow festivities began on November 30 when art world A-listers descended on the Delano hotel for a Latin-inspired poolside party featuring passed appetizers of grouper ceviche and traditional Latin treats including croquetas, empanadas, and papa rellena (stuffed potatoes). The next course was hearty Latin fare such as ropa vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce), chicken and rice, and a whole roasted pig. Cocktails flowed compliments of Diageo and featured the full line of Smirnoff vodkas.
Elite cigar maker Dunhill set up shop in a cabana where lovely ladies explained the finer points of stogie smoking and offered samples according to each guest's tastes. Cuban songstress Albita took the stage to perform. Her tribute to the late salsa queen Celia Cruz really got the crowd moving.
The shallow end of the Delano's pool featured a floating floral centerpiece of four spheres of assorted white flowers connected by a string of electric lights made to look like candles. The effect was more abstract art than flower arrangement.
On opening night, the beach was alive with artists and art aficionados. On December 1, the area of Collins Park between 21st and 22nd Streets was packed for one of many Art Basel events—Art Positions. Twenty cutting-edge galleries showcased their works in unusual spaces—shipping containers that were turned into exhibition galleries. Basel architects Steinmann and Schmid installed white walls inside the containers, and equipped them with natural light and ceiling lamps and air-conditioning to keep the crowds visiting the space comfortable. The Art Café, set up directly on the sand, provided refreshments for the evening. DJs from Crobar spun music, and Diageo mixed up cocktails—making it a hip and artsy time for all.
The following evening, patrons gathered at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) for Party on the Plaza. Hors d'oeuvres by Le Basque Inc., live music by Suenalo Sound System, temporary exhibits from MAM and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and video works by Magdalena Fernandez and Ferran Martin were set up for all to enjoy.
Also on December 2 was Art Basel Conversations, an event featuring conversations with six artists about life, art, and other topics important to the arty set. The event's planner, producer, and caterer, Switzerland-based Gamma Catering, chose a nautical theme, and hired AVS Entertainment to bring it to life.
When guests entered the Moore Building, a four-story building with an atrium in Miami's Design District, the ground floor looked like a giant aquarium. AVS projected life-size and lifelike re-creations of fish swimming in the ocean onto the building's walls. Subtle blue and green lighting from PRG accented the projections. Blue drinks sat atop small bars made of white wooden planks that lined the entire hallway, which led to the stairway up to the second floor. Guests walked directly up the steps, and instead of seeing through to the ground level, AVS stretched fabric across the opening and projected images of water and swooping seagulls onto it, creating a realistic representation of looking over the side of a ship onto the sea.
As hors d'oeuvres and drinks were passed, guests were asked to return to the ground level where event sponsor Bulgari set up displays of baubles. The air conditioning was lacking, but the decor looked great. The room was turned into a lounge with furniture from Kartell. Caterwaiters served seafood delicacies from stacked Lucite trays. The final surprise of the evening came when AVS turned the ceiling of stretched material into the daytime sky with projections of birds flying and blue skies.
On December 4 the Miami Art Museum's (MAM) held its biggest fund-raiser, which had a winter theme. Barton G transformed the Radisson Hotel Miami ballroom into a snowy wonderland with a palette of winter white and cool blue. Centerpieces overflowing with white roses and hydrangeas towered over glass vases filled with white candles. At one end of the room, a row of bare-branched trees was placed in front of a backdrop of a snow-covered forest, which complemented the shimmering metallic linens and silver chairs.
Art Basel's hot ticket Friday night was the Wolfsonian Museum's garden-party-style celebration. Held in the courtyard of the Miami Beach Best Western, the event was conceived by international tastemaker and founder of Nest magazine Joe Holtzman and designed by Kate and Andy Spade.
Pastel colored paper lanterns lit the packed courtyard where guests gathered to view New Mexico artist Richard Tuttle's multimedia work of spotlights and streamers cascading down the front of the Wolfsonian's facade. Famed New York fireworks house Grucci collaborated with the artist to produce a brief but spectacular show of pyrotechnics from the building's rooftop.
The young and hip crowd sipped "Orange-tinis," a specialty drink created by A Joy Wallace Catering Production. The Miami-based company also provided artfully prepared appetizers at the V.I.P. preparty held inside the museum, where Perrier-Jouet champagne was sipped throughout the night. Upon exiting the soiree, V.I.P. guests received specially designed Jack Spade gift bags.
Adding to the evening's coolness quotient, the DJ was none other than celebrated designer Todd Oldham, whose Apple Powerbook kept the party pumping with booty-shaking disco and 80's pop.
—Stephen Bridges, Vanessa Goyanes, and Shari Lynn Rothstein
AVS Entertainment projected images of water onto stretched material to create the illusion of looking out onto the ocean at the Art Basel Conversations event on December 2.
During Art Basel, the Art Positions event featured temporary exhibits including paintings, video, and lighting works.
Todd Oldham served as DJ at the Wolfsonian bash on December 3.
Assorted white flowers were connected by a string of electric lights, creating a candle effect in the pool at the Delano hotel for the preshow opening party on November 30.
