Miami has never been my weekend getaway destination-of-choice, even though it’s only four hours away by car. South Beach, in particular, is home to everything I actively dislike: non-stop electronic music, unnecessarily expensive meals of average quality, horrible traffic, and a dress code that incorporates sequins and impossibly high heels— think ballroom dance competition costumes, but with shorter skirts and very uncomfortable shoes.
When I read about Art Basel Miami Beach a few years ago, it sounded like something I would actually like, despite its location. Last year, when I finally decided to check it out, I was delighted to find out that Art Basel mutes everything about South Beach that I personally find antithetical to an enjoyable weekend vacation. Yes, I still found myself eating bagels and lox while my ears were fighting off a sonic assault from an electronic remix of a song I already disliked. But, it was a small price to pay for spending an entire weekend experiencing some of the best and most interesting art I’ve ever seen.
Art Basel at the Miami Beach Convention Center is a must-see if you are here for the first time. The entire convention center floor is lined with seemingly endless rows of art gallery booths. Although Art Basel Miami Beach is billed as an international art fair, a large portion of the galleries represented are from New York. These galleries offer works from their own walls— and from private collections— that you will never be able to see anywhere else and all in one place. Art Basel also has other events, installations, and Salons at which attendees can participate or just observe.
Yesterday, we arrived in South Beach around mid-afternoon and settled in to our budget-friendly hotel room on Collins Avenue. After unpacking our overstuffed suitcases and unsuccessfully attempting to remove terrible Florida-themed art that was bolted to our room’s periwinkle walls, I realized that I was the only one that had done any pre-planning.
Many of the receptions are invite-only or require an RSVP. Art Basel itself is only one festival. There are many large art festivals, satellite events and gallery openings throughout the city. There is so much to do here in South Beach and in the Design District & Wynwood. Here in Miami, the traffic is terrible and cabs are expensive. It’s best to pick an area and really explore it….
This article appears in Dec 1-7, 2011.