Marvel&Friends: Miami’s Art Basel Experience
The One Way To Enjoy A Good Basel Experience In Miami’s Art Basel Is To Do So With Good People.
Marvel&Friends: Miami’s Art Basel Experience was originally posted to GoodKnocking.net by Alex Auguste on December 6, 2016.
Each year since its inauguration and introduction to Miami’s Art and Design District, Art Basel has been a fast-growing festival that is now not only internationally renown, but a quintessential experience for marketers, creatives, and artists alike.
No seriously. As a Miami native now living in Tampa, Florida, seeing what the Art Basel Art Festival and Exposition has become for so many varying walks of life is not only awe-inspiring, but an important note when we think of what we call art and how we appreciate it all. In short, Art Basel is one big waft of an alcoholic buzz, mixed in with the tingling of spray paint on your nostril’s cilia, while dragging your new shoes on a 14-mile trek through “Oh Shit-ness” in 70-degree weather in an area of Miami people only started talking about literally three years ago.
The area we come to enjoy, as Wynwood, and the Shops at Mid-Town, were nothing more than a flat patch of weed-ridden concrete, barge containers, and the starting construction of Midtown’s condos. The view I had at the time was from a church, Santa Cruz Episcopalian Church which I now have to mention was sold to make way for a parking garage adjacent to the District’s Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex stores.
But the beauty of those vibes is this: everyone can, will, and is taking part.
Essentially, there are about three to four Art Basel experiences: you’re an artist exhibiting your work (or performing), you’re an artist looking to network (by any means necessary), you’re coming to enjoy the art, or you’re just going to go. Unlike a lot of other Miami festivities, none of those experiences are wrong, because they all add to the growth and atmosphere of a multi-layered art festival. It forces everyone in attendance to answer the question, “what is art to you”? And thus, everyone’s answer becomes their experience.
EVENTS & VENUES
Kicking off the Miami Takeover Edition, GoodKnocking made a stop in Little Haiti for Art Beat Miami for the Caribbean/Haitian art exhibition just miles north of the art district. From there, it was straight into experience the Wynwood Walls, the infamous outdoor mural exhibit, which featured Fear Less. Complete with 12 walls that encourage us to be fearless “in a world absorbed by fear”, the Walls were decorated by the works of artists such as Tatiana Suarez (FL, USA), Dasic Fernandez (Chile), David Chloe (CA, USA), Okuda (Spain), and Pixel Pancho (Italy) and many more.
And while the exhibits range in location from Wynwood, to Little Haiti, to the Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami becomes an art exhibit of its own (see photos below).
FEATURED PEOPLE
With stops at a few galleries, we were able to make a drop in and meet Penelope Fedor, a U.S. Army veteran and current Master’s program student at Miami’s Art Institute for Fine Arts in Drawing. Awesome? Absolutely, hanging out got us one-on-one with her to get inside access and behind-the-drawing information on Penelope’s work, muse, and background (she’ll enjoy that I didn’t mention “inspiration”). More importantly it got us a chance to meet an artist and understand the workings and the career of what it takes to be an exhibited artist in one of the largest international art festivals.
A childhood classmate of Coco’s, Penny and I were able to connect very well — as people, as links, and as artists — crossing discussions between art through words and visuals. You can find more about Penelope Fedor, her work, and career at her website! Also, check out her dope merchandise and prints online.
SKATING & GRAFITTI
It’s interesting to see the development and growth of Hip-Hop culture in the realms of an expo such as Art Basel. As a native, I’ve always known and remembered that Miami struggled with controlling graffiti. Artists would tag every known and unknown areas in the city, even begging the question sometimes of how’d they do that? Or how long did that take? Or even how’d they not get caught? Well, today, many of the individuals who were tagging with spray paint then, are quite possibly in high demand as Miami’s interest in graffiti artists is what drives the Art and Design District. Second to graffiti is skating, and Art Basel did not hold back on the opportunity to provide an avenue for skaters and graffiti artists.
This year’s HIVE Pop-Up (which played the role of Wynwood HQ), included a skate park that saw its construction completed on December 1st 2016 — or one day before the major events took place. There was no shortest of skaters, and it made for an interest show and rest stop for avid night-goers and passersby.
In short, Art Basel is — if not already — the “mecca for all creatives”, as I stated to GK’s good friend, and former Operations Manager, Deni Brave. Sure, it’s not South by Southwest and it isn’t Coachella, but we also don’t know that yet. It’s a atmosphere really that you don’t get often from arts festivals, and definitely no one event in Miami. Again, it gives you insights into being a creative that you don’t get to experience often, and if you left Art Basel uninspired, then maybe you did not quite Basel correctly (yes, it’s a verb now, too).One day it may grow to be bigger. But until then in-state creatives, content producers, and somebodys should all consider attending Art Basel.
I got a new friend, a new drink (Jack of All Trades — did you drink it at The HIVE?), and a new found pride in the city that made me.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Art Basel has its origin in Basel, Switzerland, but also includes three other cities: Hong Kong, China; Miami Beach, FL; and Wynwood, FL.
- Art Basel was commissioned to come to Miami, Florida in 2001, with its debut year in 2002.
- It’s Bah-Zol, not Bay-Zul.
- Wynwood shops’ walls are decorated and painted by street artist. They’re invited, commissioned, and are switched out every year.
- 2016’s Zika Virus scare was a very problematic scenario for the 4-square mile area of Wynwood, with shops and bars being empty nearly every night.
- The first female High School football coach, Lakatriona Brunson, or Bernice as she went by on TV’s “South Beach Tow” coaches at Miami Jackson High School, which sits on NW 36th Street just West of the Shops at MidTown. The team finished 2016 3–7 (2–3).
- Skating and graffiti grew popular in Miami due to the city’s lack of child-friendly environments and activities. Outside of newly developed skate parks, Miami bolsters three skating rinks: The Basement Miami on South Beach, Super Wheels in Kendall, and the Kendall Ice Arena — all catering to roller-blading or skating experiences. Miami also only has bowling alleys in those same areas.
- One of the most popular contemporary artists from Miami is Romero Britto. The Brazilian painter is world-renown for his neo-pop style, vibrant colors, and is now acclaimed and celebrated all through Miami as well as internationally. His work is very recognizable.
