During Art Basel Miami Beach, the city has more parties and events than it does palm trees. From the satellite fairs to gallery openings and parties hosted at every major hotel and restaurant, it’s hard to discern what’s really worth attending. Add traffic and it’s extra impossible to see it all. So here, a rundown of all the events and exhibits not to miss this year.
Fairs
Art Basel Miami Beach
Open to the public December 6th through 8th
1901 Convention Center Drive
Bridget Finn’s name may not be on the lips of the average show-goer, but this year marks her debut as the fair’s director. The first former gallerist to take the reins, she’s promised to improve the experience for visitors. That means moving the show’s Meridians section, which features large-scale installations, from the margins of the convention center into the main fair itself. This year features the largest class of galleries in the fair’s history, with a total of 286 participating.
More information here.
José Parlá working on “Pathways,” on view at Art Basel Miami Beach’s Meridians section.
Photo by Rey Parlá. Courtesy of the artist and Ben Brown Fine Art
Untitled Art
December 4th through 8th
1200 Ocean Drive
Since 2012, Untitled Art has spotlighted contemporary artists. The largest fair yet, this year’s edition has 171 exhibitors from around the globe. Themed “East Meets West,” the curatorial efforts are helmed by Kathy Huang and Jungmin Cho, the founder of Seoul’s White Noise gallery.
More information here.
NADA
December 3rd through 7th
1400 N Miami Avenue
For NADA’s 22nd edition, more than 150 galleries and arts nonprofits are exhibiting work at Ice Palace Studios. Known for spotlighting innovative contemporary art, the fair is displaying works by rising stars, such as Woo Hannah and Clayton Schiff. Throughout the week, NADA will also host a series of conversations and events, from a discussion about the influence of the Caribbean on contemporary art to a reading by The Whitney Review.
More information here.
Twins (2024) by artist Woo Hannah is on view in NADA’s Curated Spotlight.
Photo by Seungheon Lee. Courtesy of the artist and G Gallery
Exhibitions and Installations
“Rachel Feinstein: The Miami Years,” at the Bass Museum of Art
Through August 17th
2100 Collins Avenue
“I’ve always been interested in portraying some kind of fantasy, then showing that it’s completely constructed,” says the artist Rachel Feinstein. “There are always dark messages hidden behind beauty.” Growing up in 1980s Miami, the multidisciplinary artist was informed by the perverse decadence of the overdeveloped, forever sunny city. The Bass Museum is hosting her first major exhibition in her hometown. The show features sculptures, paintings, and video works she’s made over three decades, as well as a site-specific, sprawling painting.
More information here.
Exhibition view of “Rachel Feinstein: The Miami Years.”
Photo by Zaire Aranguren
“Sundial Spectrum,” on Española Way
December 3rd through February 9th
Between Washington Avenue and Collins Court
A trip down Española Way, a little slice of Spain right in the middle of South Beach, is always worth it, but this year Miami Beach has given you all the more reason by commissioning Jen Stark, the Miami-born artist known for her technicolor kaleidoscope-like work, to install a series of 13 acrylic works meant to catch the sun rays and cast rainbow shadows along your walk.
More information here.
“As her hands move, her heart beats in the rhythm of monsoons,” at Ritz-Carlton, South Beach
December 3rd through 8th
1 Lincoln Road
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya is known for combining art and science. Her installation “As her hands move, her heart beats in the rhythm of monsoons” was inspired by a months-long research journey in Thailand and the matrilineal legacies of the country’s rural communities. Opening on December 3rd, the piece will be on view throughout the week in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. The hotel has also partnered with the non-profit Artadia to present the inaugural SEEN Award, which will grant $15,000 to a woman-identified artist.
More information here.
Rubem Valentim, Lucy Bull, Ding Shilun, Keiichi Tanaami, and Marguerite Humeau at ICA Miami
61 NE 41st Street
Timed to Miami Art Week, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, has five solo shows on view, each marking the artist’s first major U.S. museum exhibition. “Crossroads: Rubem Valentim’s 1960s” puts the spotlight on the Brazilian painter who experimented with geometric abstraction. Lucy Bull’s “The Garden of Forking Paths” displays 16 of her abstract, psychedelic paintings, all made in the last five years. Ding Shilun’s “Janus” displays newly commissioned paintings by the 26-year-old known for depicting ethereal fantasies with violent and sinister undercurrents. “Memory Collage” focuses on the late Japanese painter Keiichi Tanaami’s blending of fine art and pop culture. Last, but certainly not least, Marguerite Humeau’s “\*sk\*/ey-” is an immersive installation of sculptures and videos that consider the looming threat of climate change.
More information here.
Lucy Bull’s 16:23 (2024).
Photo by Elon Schoenholz. Courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery
“Vanessa Raw: This is How the Light Gets In,” at the Rubell Museum
Beginning December 2
1100 NW 23rd Street
Since her 2023 breakthrough at Frieze London, English painter Vanessa Raw has garnered many fans, including Tracey Emin. Now comes the former Olympic triathlete’s first U.S. exhibition—and debut institutional show. On display are newly commissioned works that see women enjoying paradise.
More information here.
Exhibition view of “Vanessa Raw: This is How the Light Gets In.”
Courtesy of Rubell Museum
“The Sleep of Reason,” at the Craig Robins Collections
Beginning December 2nd
3841 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 400
You may not get a reasonable amount of sleep during Miami Art Week, but at least you can stop by “The Sleep of Reason.” Francisco de Goya’s “El sueño de la razón produce monstruos,” from his print series Caprichos, takes center stage at this year’s rehang of the Craig Robins Collection. Shown at the Dacra headquarters in the Miami Design District, the exhibition displays choice works from Robins’s private collection. Works by contemporary artists Kai Althoff and Jana Euler have been chosen to compliment the Goya print, and recent acquisitions by Jill Mulleady, Mario Ayala, Karon Davis, Bony Ramirez, and Alteronce Gumby are also on view. Gallery hours are throughout the week from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
More information here.
“Nomadic Journey and Spirit of Places,” at Faena Art Project Room
December 5th through 8th
420 Collins Avenue
Performance artist Marina Abramović’s work has ranged from screaming for three continuous hours while supine (“Freeing the Voice,” 1976) to silently sitting opposite strangers at a table in MoMA for 736.5 hours (“The Artist is Present,” 2010). Now, the 78-year-old is revealing her idiosyncratic creative process in an exhibition. Her notes, photographs, drawings, and poetry are on view.
More information here.
Gucci Boule de Neige and Art Walls Series at Sweet Bird North Plaza
December 3rd through January 7th
11495 SW 40th Street
Gucci has brought a massive snow globe to Miami—a city where everyone loves snow—and perched it between their two Design District boutiques. The festive decoration is filled with Gucci luggage, as well as recreations of Palazzo Gucci, in Florence, and the brand’s SoHo storefront. Complementing the attraction are three abstract murals by Corydon Cowansage on the walls surrounding the plaza.
More information here.
Gucci Boule de Neige brings festivity to Sweet Bird North Plaza.
Courtesy of Gucci
Events
Tribeca Festival x Art Basel Miami Beach
December 4th through 7th
7275 Collins Avenue
The Tribeca Film Festival is swapping New York cinema for Miami music. The organization is taking over the Miami Beach Bandshell for four nights. Florida’s own Camila Cabello will take part in a Storytellers interview series on Saturday at 5 p.m., while indie pop band Magdalena Bay, fresh off a worldwide tour, will have a homecoming concert on Friday at 7 p.m. Thursday is dedicated to the 1996 South Beach-set classic The Birdcage. A screening of the film will be paired with performances from queens from the iconic Ocean Drive drag bar The Palace.
More information here.
Silencio at the Miami Beach EDITION
December 3rd through 5th
2901 Collins Avenue
Silencio, the David Lynch-designed Paris nightclub, is landing in Miami for three sleepless nights. For the first, MoMA PS1 will host an evening with music by Nick León and SofTT. For the second, DZA and How Long Gone co-host Jason Stewart (a.k.a. Them Jeans) will DJ. For the final night, PIN–UP Magazine and Perrotin Gallery are curating a night with music by Eartheater and Martin Bootyspoon.
More information here.
LVMH’s Culture House Pop-Up
December 4th through 8th
151 NE 41st Street, 3rd Floor
For a few days, the LVMH Culture House returns to Miami with an immersive gallery in the Design District. Both established and rising talents, from the painter Kandy Lopez to the ceramicist Yuki Ando, have work on view. Every afternoon, LVMH brand presidents, artists, and entrepreneurs will speak on panels.
More information here.
