Ah, Art Basel Miami Beach. The December weekend when the world’s art and party fanatics descend upon South Florida’s crown jewel in order to take in the creativity of some of the world’s best creators. Each year, over 70,000 visitors check out the galleries, exhibits, installations, and events put together by the annual festival.
Focusing mostly on Miami Beach and Wynwood, there’s so much to do during Art Basel that it can be a bit disorienting for the unprepared. That’s where we come in. Whether you’re looking for robe parties and charity benefits or for the best and most outlandish exhibits, these 10 collections and parties will be a perfect jumping off point as you head down to South Beach for the weekend of December 7 through the 10. Featuring artists from up and down Latin America, you can support your fellow Latinos while also taking in some of the best and brightest from art’s past, present, and future.
Just make sure to get some sleep when you can.
Lady Pink @ Wynwood Walls
When: December 6 – 10
Where: Wynwood Walls, 2520 NW 2nd Ave, Miami
Tickets: FREE
The Wynwood Walls are famous mostly for being the #1 background for Miami visitors’ Instagram selfies and Tinder profile photos, but they also support local artists by letting them paint over in advance of Art Basel. This year’s collection of artists include Lady Pink, the Ecuador-born NYC native who explores themes of female sexuality and nature in her highly-acclaimed graffiti art.
A Celebration of Streetwear Brand Haculla
When: December 8, 11 PM
Where: ORA Nightclub, 2000 Collins Ave, Miami Beach
Hosted by Haculla muse and alter ego Harif Guzman, the Friday night party will take place at one of the newest clubs in South Beach. Celebrate the Venezuelan streetwear pioneer on night 2 of Art Basel, who got his start as a street artist in New York City.
Ocean City
When: December 6, 10PM
Where: 30 NE 14th Street, Miami
Tickets: Free with RSVP before midnight, $20 general admission
This entirely green event–”leave no trace” is taking its talents to South Beach–will feature a competition that will aim to raise awareness about issues facing the world’s oceans. A partnership between Alpha’a and Oceanic Global, Ocean City will feature, among many excellent artists, Mexican NYC electronic artist Sainte Vie, who heads the label Akumandra. Arrive early for free RSVP, but make sure to donate!
Untitled Miami Beach 2017
When: December 6 – December 10
Where: Ocean Drive and 12th Street, Miami Beach
Tickets: $30
This year marks the sixth edition of Untitled, an art fair that deals in physical space on South Beach. For 2017, the fair will include an architectural project titled “Radio,” a poster exhibit with 10 limited-edition prints, and work from Carlos Cruz-Diez and Sergio Vega, who is putting up a “shanty dwelling” on the beach.
Breakfast In the Park
When: December 10, 9:30AM
Where: Frost Art Museum FIU, 10975 SW 17th St, Miami
RSVP: Required
After a wild weekend of art and partying, what better way to chill out on the last day of Art Basel than with a brunch? That’s the thought behind “Breakfast in the Park,” a yearly event hosted by the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU. This year’s breakfast will honor LA-based artist Daniel Joseph Martinez.
On the Horizon @ PAMM
When: Now through April 8
Where: Perez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami
Tickets: $16
A three-part series from the Perez Art Museum Miami, “On the Horizon” will showcase its second piece during Art Basel: “Abstracting History.” Featuring works from Cuban artists like abstract artist Waldo Balart and Havana-based creator Reynier Leyva Novo, the exhibit is available before and after the festival, so if you can avoid crowds by going in the days around the weekend, all the better.
PULSE PROJECT
When: December 7 – 10
Where: Indian Beach Park, 4601 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Tickets: $25
Puerto Rican artist Hector Arce-Espasas’ installation “Ode to Paradise (Dancers)” will be headlining the 13th edition of the Pulse Miami Beach Contemporary Fair. Alongside that exhibit, Phoenix Lindsay-Hall’s “Never Stop Dancing” will pay tribute to the 49 victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting bearing the same name as the fair.
Self-Reconstructed Elipsis
When: December 5, 4PM
Where: Collins Park, between 17th Street and 25th Street on Collins Avenue, South Beach
Tickets: FREE
Curator Philipp Kaiser is organizing a pre-Art Basel exhibit at the PUBLIC sector of Art Basel, consisting of 11 works that the geography of Collins Park into account. Of special note is Mexican artist Abraham Cruzvillegas’ “Self-Reconstructed Elipsis,” which will rework wooden structures as inspired by shelters in his hometown of Mexico City. Warm up by the beach for the weekend proper.
El Batatono
When: December 7, 8PM
Where: 100 NE 1st Ave, Miami
Tickets: $10 – $120
Billed as “Miami’s first robe party,” El Batatono is a Peruvian import for the sexy casual. With high-minded concepts about robes representing the transitional period of the Millennial generation, admission to the party will include a traditional Peruvian robe in psychedelic styles, but it’s first come first serve, so book yours quickly.
Art Basel Cities
When: December 7 – December 10
Where: Everywhere!
Art Basel Cities aims to bring cities to the festival to try to develop their artistic communities; the initiative was started in 2016, and features locales like Buenos Aires, São Paolo, and Mexico City. The exhibits are spread throughout the entire festival, and will feature a plethora of gallery collections from all over the world. Learn more here.