Art Basel Miami
December 1st
If you want intellectual stimulation thrown in with your winter sun, look no further than Art Basel Miami Beach.
This carnival of the art world could not be more different from its European peers. Unlike the great triumvirate of contemporary art fairs – Frieze, Art Basel in Switzerland and the Venice Biennale – Art Basel Miami Beach has got sun, surf, sand and a definite Latin beat.
The fair was created by Samuel Keller, the director of the prestigious Art Basel fair in Switzerland, in 2000. He wanted to start a fair in the US and chose the least Swiss city he could find.
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Miami, with its searing heat, dilapidated art deco architecture and party undercurrent, may seem an unusual place to hold an art fair. And yet this city has got a lot more to offer. More than 250 galleries exhibit work by over 2,000 artists at Art Basel Miami Beach every year. It has become the most important show in America and a cultural and social highlight for the international arterati.
The fair attracts the usual gathering of moneyed collectors, curators, critics and art enthusiasts. Champagne is the drink of choice at the numerous parties held across town. The hot ticket is the opening night party on December 1.
