A Day of Art Basel Miami

Flotsam + Jetsam — SHoP Architects

Art Basel 2016

Architecture Meets Art (Basel)

Flotsam & Jetsam — not sure what that is? Well it’s hard to miss if you attended Art Basel on Miami Beach this year. New York architects known for the 3D printed sculptural designs, SHoP, created a beautiful installation/ art piece, for the entrance of all places! Can’t think of a better way to kick off a day full of art than with an architectural pavilion. These large-scale pavilions form an immersive entry environment to the exhibition space. Much like conceptual art, architecture uses design concepts to create spaces. The intent for SHoP’s design was to draw inspiration from Miami's celebrated spirit of play, the dynamic beach morphology, and the city's emergent function as a center for creative visioning and technological discovery.

Now I can go on and on about art and architecture, but if neither is your profession, there are a couple of other reasons to attend Art Basel. The biggest one is that it’s fun! It’s different. It’s unique. Where else can you find an event hosting the top 250+ galleries of the world. Another is that this week literally has changed the world’s perception of Miami, which in turn has brought jobs, companies and real estate sales. And it is a truly remarkable opportunity to see first-rate art from all over the world without getting on a plane. The main event is Art Basel in Miami Beach which is held in the convention center. Art Miami on the other hand is Miami’s own art fairs, mixed with locals and galleries. These events include: Pulse, Spectrum, Scope, Design Miami: furniture, Untitled, and so on.

Aside from Flotsam & Jetsam, a few of my favorite pieces this year are listed below:

Art Basel (Miami Beach)

END by Doug Aitken

Object Nomades by Louis Vuitton

by Secundino Hernández

First of all, Louis Vuitton anything is everything — but what I love about fashion is its connection to art and design, Step back from a shoe, purse, or piece of clothing and in the end it is a combination of design concepts and artistic expression, mixed with some functionality, of course. Furniture and interior products are no different, so when fashion house Louis Vuitton displayed their Objects Nomades furniture — it was nothing short of perfect #HomeGoals

“My paintings grow spontaneously. Like tomatoes in a garden.”

When searching for painters who are making their mark at the moment it is almost impossible to overlook the Spanish artist Secundino Hernandez who splits his time between Berlin and Madrid. Over the last years, his direct approach to painting has made a strong impression on collectors. He is creating canvases with a powerful presence of physical immediacy making intuitive use of color and gestural form.

Physichromie by Carlos Cruz-Diez

At 92 years-old, Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez continues to influence the kinetic and op art movement with his entire career focusing on color, line and perception. At Art Basel this year, Cruz-Diez’ work Physichromie 1631, again captured the attention of many. Represented by Galerie Denise René, the mixed media piece is a part of his long and popular Physichromie series.

Directive light, color change, and a particular composition of lines creates a sensation of motion, but relies on the movement of the viewer rather than the movement of the art object itself. Cruz-Diez refers to this changing effect and emergence of moiré patterns in the image as “vibrations”.