Where & Wear: Miami Art Basel 2017

It's not uncommon to hear me say that my mum is ten times cooler than me. Call that me being humble or self-deprecating if you may, but the fact of the matter is it's just true. Case in point: my mum's work with the Royal Academy in London scored us VIP tickets to the opening day of Art Basel.

Finals week be damned, I found myself on a 5am flight to Miami to escape both the Reg and Chicago's early winter chill. And in Miami I found even more: not only access to one of North America's most prestigious art fairs, but also a glimpse into a part of my mother's life I hadn't explored.

Day 1: UПTITLED

As much as the pervasive mix of Cyrillic and Latin scripts throughout the exhibit bothered me, I couldn't ignore that UNTITLED was one of the best art fairs I had attended. I'm no expert, so for me the most important aspect of art is what it evokes in me and how well it draws me in.

William Powhida, “What The Fuck Is The Art World” (2017), acrylic on paper mounted on aluminum, 55 by 44 inches, Postmasters Gallery.

The art at UNTITLED questioned both what art is, and also the role of the human in art through the lens of virtual reality.

Top: sadly unknown. I forgot to document the information and could not find it anywhere. Bottom: Liliana Porter - To Clean Up II. 2012-17. Installation.

UNTITLED was not the week's main event, so most chose to wear more casual, beach friendly clothing as it was located right on Miami Beach. The majority was casual-cool with bright colours. I made the mistake of wearing tall heels that day which taught me the number one rule of art shows: bring comfy shoes.

Left and right: me posing among several pieces of Carlos Cruz-Diez's “Chroma” installation from 2017. Centre: detail of background image on left.

One of my favourite parts of UNTITLED was seeing few familiar names, as opposed to at Art Basel itself where I could recognise nearly every other artist. Mid-sized and especially new galleries have been suffering in recent years, as prices to exhibit at high end art fairs rise at an alarming rate. This often leaves the more prestigious fairs packed with galleries that deal more established artists' works, usually from the 60s and 70s. However, as UNTITLED deals with more recent art (most pieces I saw were made within the past 5 years), I was able to interact with the newest contemporary art and even the artists themselves.

Day 2: Art Basel Opening Day

Art Basel's first day was everything I expected: elaborate, outlandish, fun, and fabulous. From the endless maze of gallery booths with works old and new, to the two central courtyards covered in greenery and serving champagne and oysters there was never a dull moment. Ok there was one dull moment, but that was because it took us so long to find where we picked up our passes. No joke, we spent probably our first half hour sweltering in the sun desperate to figure out which of the five outdoor tents housed our specific pick-up desk. When my mum and I got inside we promptly split up. She had an agenda of people to talk to and friends to meet. It was fun when we did it together at UNTITLED but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with her today as she bounced gallery to gallery sharing thoughts, critiquing art, and giggling over inside jokes.

My mum and design icon Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada.

I spent most of Art Basel wandering in silence which was oddly meditative. I watched people passing, overheard fragments of conversation, and most importantly admired the art around me at my own pace and without interruption.

Top: from Bridgette Kowanz's "Kabinett." Bottom: Joseph Kosuth, "P.G. #9 (I see what I see.)", 1991.

Many of the pieces at Art Basel and various other shows featured neon lighting, but I loved these two pieces in cobalt blue. The contrast of light and mirrors in Kowanz's work forces you to view reality from different planes, whereas Kosuth's work wants you to focus on what is immediate.

Left to right: Do Ho Suh, "Hub, Unit G5, Union Wharf, 23 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7SB, UK", 2015; David Adamo, "Untitled (ship in bottle)," 2017; Tom Wesselmann, "Steel Drawing (Sitting Nude)," 1986-1987.

These were among my favourite works from the show.

I cant quite place my finger on why, but Bill Beckley's "The Underarm" was my my number one favourite piece. It's so evocative. As your eye is drawn through the winding frames, you are shocked and disgusted by the underarm, fearful of the deep, open sea, reassured by the breaking waves in the sunset, and left to wonder how the text passage ties into it all. It's not a work I would hang in my home, yet I can't take my eyes away from it. I don't know how long I stood in front of it, but it was by far what left the largest impact on me from Art Basel.

So many people, including myself and my mother, eschewed the sentiment that florals should stay in spring. December in Miami is still hot as hell, so all traditional fashion rules went out the window. My favourite look was the floral suit below on the left.

Night 2: Pinta and Pao

After an obligatory post-Art Basel nap we headed out to an exhibit called Pinta in Miami's design district. Pinta highlights the work of Latino and Latin American artists across all different media. There were choral performances, performance artists, and even shops selling clothing and accessories by Latino and Latin American designers.

Above: Milena Bonilla “Size / To Sell Or To Rent” 2006.

I was fascinated by "Size / To Sell Or To Rent," not because it left me guessing, but because it told me exactly what it was. Twenty seven yarn balls were precisely measured to represent the land masses of the twenty seven countries in the continental Americas.

Afterwards we headed down to our favourite Miami hotspot, Pao, a fusion restaurant at the famous Faena Hotel. If you have the patience to wait for a table — which can still happen if you make a reservation at a peak time — Pao is not to be missed. Centred around a Hockney unicorn statue with views on the ocean, Pao delights with dishes such as a uni and corn pudding (aptly named the Unicorn), A5 wagyu carpaccio, and adobo rice with duck egg. Plus the cocktails are to die for.

Our drinks from Pao. It's hard to make it out, but the cored passionfruit in the back drink is actually alight.

I didn't want to say goodbye to Miami after two short days, but alas I could no longer ignore the looming pressure of final papers. However, the brevity of my stay couldn't take away all the amazing experiences I had there. Though I will admit that much of the art's intricacies and technique went over my head, I was still left awed at what I had seen. Here's to hoping my mum has another plus-one for 2018.

All images and gifs via the author. Feature image from UNTITLED.