The wealth of DJs and superclubs on offer in Miami would guarantee a Saturday night to remember but I wanted to get a feel for the place and not for the liquor.
Art Basel became the excuse for a venture to the famous city. A friend who I met on my very first dock walk to find a job kindly rented a car and picked me up (waffles with strawberries and hot coffee in tow, good boy). We had expected the traffic to be crazy but our journey was jam free, leaving me ample time to entertain with repetitive renditions of Pitbull , Welcome to Miami and Will Smiths, Miami. We managed to park easy as pie in a ‘parking garage’ right on 17th street. Following the tourists crossing this way and that we decided that the beach couldn’t be a bad place to start.
Art Basel became the excuse for a venture to the famous city. A friend who I met on my very first dock walk to find a job kindly rented a car and picked me up (waffles with strawberries and hot coffee in tow, good boy). We had expected the traffic to be crazy but our journey was jam free, leaving me ample time to entertain with repetitive renditions of Pitbull , Welcome to Miami and Will Smiths, Miami. We managed to park easy as pie in a ‘parking garage’ right on 17th street. Following the tourists crossing this way and that we decided that the beach couldn’t be a bad place to start.
The streets had a wider, cleaner feel than Fort Lauderdale and the sun was booming. Lots of people running; gigantic breasts bouncing (not in siliconion cases, which of course are a-plenty) and all forms of personal transport from roller skates to segways.
As we approached the sea, a wave of regret splashed over us that we didn’t bring our swimmers - man it looked inviting. The long stretch of beach covered intermittently with cabanas and sunbrellas, tanned bodies lounged across their deck chairs was calling out to me, but we were here to be cultural, not to bake.
An excitable crowd of people ahead assures us that we are close to our first spectacle. After experiencing this kinetic sculpture, named ‘Strandbeasts’, resembling the Trojan horse with sails, we take a stride across the beach in search of the main festivities.
As we approached the sea, a wave of regret splashed over us that we didn’t bring our swimmers - man it looked inviting. The long stretch of beach covered intermittently with cabanas and sunbrellas, tanned bodies lounged across their deck chairs was calling out to me, but we were here to be cultural, not to bake.
An excitable crowd of people ahead assures us that we are close to our first spectacle. After experiencing this kinetic sculpture, named ‘Strandbeasts’, resembling the Trojan horse with sails, we take a stride across the beach in search of the main festivities.
There are a few abstract art pieces around on our way to the museum and we overhear a conversation of two little girls; ‘What is that?’
‘I think its called art’ replies the girl, which subsequently becomes our tagline of the day.
We pay a small fee and we are in. I suddenly question how much amusement I expected I would get out of the day, as I recalled countless times wandering round museums looking at a dot on a page and struggling to find any importance, pleasure or meaning to it. I do appreciate art when I can see talent, but more often that not galleries will be more than fifty percent full of pieces that could have been completed by a five year old. I decide to embrace each piece and give it the benefit of the doubt by reading the blurbs. One piece, a gold sheet of paper confirms my thoughts.
...This piece was created to make the viewer question, what is this piece? What does it mean? And why was it created?
Is that not the point of all art? Another piece is a giant open book with page numbers. I guess that this artist was trying to create the - is your glass half full or half empty vision of life.
I do very much enjoy the rest of the exhibits including; the large collection of penis art, Egyptian mummies and random exhibits such as a photograph of an alligator covered in foam and a sculpture which has an uncanny resemblance to those waving arms men that usually signal a car sales garage.
‘I think its called art’ replies the girl, which subsequently becomes our tagline of the day.
We pay a small fee and we are in. I suddenly question how much amusement I expected I would get out of the day, as I recalled countless times wandering round museums looking at a dot on a page and struggling to find any importance, pleasure or meaning to it. I do appreciate art when I can see talent, but more often that not galleries will be more than fifty percent full of pieces that could have been completed by a five year old. I decide to embrace each piece and give it the benefit of the doubt by reading the blurbs. One piece, a gold sheet of paper confirms my thoughts.
...This piece was created to make the viewer question, what is this piece? What does it mean? And why was it created?
Is that not the point of all art? Another piece is a giant open book with page numbers. I guess that this artist was trying to create the - is your glass half full or half empty vision of life.
I do very much enjoy the rest of the exhibits including; the large collection of penis art, Egyptian mummies and random exhibits such as a photograph of an alligator covered in foam and a sculpture which has an uncanny resemblance to those waving arms men that usually signal a car sales garage.
Next we headed for Miami Ink. The unfortunate thing was that the sectors title set you up for disappointment as you expected that Miami Aqua would contain art with water, Ink would include tattoos ect ect ,when that wasn’t the case at all. I notice a Picasso and a Matisse and feel so accomplished that I don’t feel guilty for pulling the curtain on the mornings arty fartyness and going for cocktails at noon.
With our heads a little lighter we head to the piste la resistance at the Miami beach convention centre. Our jaws drop at the entrance fee but we are soon over it as the vast space is filled with wonderful creations from all over the world, with an exceptionally large number of French artists and lots for the eye to feast on with a mix of people and their vibrant, wacky outfits and little girls dressed exactly like their mums with little neck scarfs and sunglasses.
Trying to keep our heads in the game, but distracted after spotting a bottle of Corona in an exhibitionists hand, we admit defeat and head to the beach bar outside.
With our heads a little lighter we head to the piste la resistance at the Miami beach convention centre. Our jaws drop at the entrance fee but we are soon over it as the vast space is filled with wonderful creations from all over the world, with an exceptionally large number of French artists and lots for the eye to feast on with a mix of people and their vibrant, wacky outfits and little girls dressed exactly like their mums with little neck scarfs and sunglasses.
Trying to keep our heads in the game, but distracted after spotting a bottle of Corona in an exhibitionists hand, we admit defeat and head to the beach bar outside.
I would of loved to have stayed for the evening celebrations, when artists, art lovers and celebrities including Leonardo Dicaprio and Miley Cyrus, shake the sand out of their shoes and hit the town.
Art Basel was a fusion of art, design, fashion and sun. I thoroughly enjoyed the art, the company and the drinks and the blues brothers were right, I will be going back to Miami.
Art Basel was a fusion of art, design, fashion and sun. I thoroughly enjoyed the art, the company and the drinks and the blues brothers were right, I will be going back to Miami.