As a Miami native, during the first few weeks of December, my Instagram feed consists of two things: Christmas and Art Basel posts. If you never heard of Art Basel, it is one of the biggest events of the year. People from all over come to experience. It showcases art, but not just traditional art. A big part of Art Basel is the art of fashion. People wear their most extravagant pieces of clothes to make a statement. During this week known as Miami Art Week, there are a bunch of lavish parties and events to make it more memorable. If you're lucky enough you might even bump into your favorite musician.
Art Basel started in the 1970s three men were set out to create an art fair, that would include art from everywhere. 16,000 showed up to admire the art from ten different countries. Swinging into the '80s, the sector of art that was focused on was photography. A celebration of 150 years of capturing the moment. There were 16 galleries involved with it, proving that Art Basel was one of the biggest influencers of this form of art. In the 2000s is when Art Basel officially becomes Art Basel, making its big debut in Miami Beach. They introduced the Art Untitled Platform, which features a daring new generation of artists. Which we still encounter today, with Art Basel bringing in new exotic art every year.
This year's Art Basel hosted 83,000 people, including artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts. There were 268 galleries from 35 countries. The greatest piece in all of Art Basel was an on-site installation, by the Mexican artist Abraham Cruzvillegas's "Autorreconstrucción: To Insist, to Insist, to Insist". This piece represented how Cruzvillegas family constructed their home, using basic materials. Art expresses people's feelings or in some cases, like Cruzvillegas, tells a story. Any art form could show this whether its a painting or some LED lights there is always something behind it.
Highlights of Art Basel Miami Beach 2018youtu.be
Unfortunately and rarely, I have never been blessed enough to go to Art Basel. So I asked my friend Luisa Mesa, who got to experience it for five years in a row, to explain the experience.
"It's basically become tradition," she starts off, explaining her experience as an Art Basel regular. "Basically when you first walk into the exhibit, it can be a little overwhelming. So many paintings, pieces of art… it's hard to know where to start. But as soon as you start easing into the whole experience, it's really fun." She explains that it has given her a greater appreciation of art. She sees it in a whole new form.
If you are ever in Miami and you can attend Art Basel, do it! Remember to bring out the more "extra" you.
