Every year, people complain that Christmas preparations are beginning earlier than the last. But somehow, nobody ever stresses about Art Basel, which has expanded from a weekend event into a weeklong fest full of events, parties, fairs, shows, movie screenings, and more.
Once upon a time, you had to wait until Thursday to get into the action. No longer. This year, Miami Art Week events kicked off last night, and will continue through Sunday. There's just no way to pack this much action into a mere long weekend. So get started today with these events.
See also: The Ten People You Meet at Art Basel
"PISTON HEAD": Cars in a garage? Not art. Artist-designed cars in the only architecturally significant parking garage you can think of? Totally art. At 1111 Lincoln, you can mix and mingle with autos bearing work by Koons, Haring, Hirst, and more.
Open 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. daily through Dec. 8. Visit venusovermanhattan.com.
See also: Piston Head: Venus Over Manhattan Brings Auto Art to Basel Week
FAILE BAST Deluxx Fluxx Arcade: Get your geek on with vintage-looking, Miami-inspired video games designed by art collective Faile.
Open 3 p.m. til late through Dec. 7. Visit deluxxfluxx.com.
See also: Are Video Games Art? Find Out at Art Basel's Deluxx Fluxx Arcade
PAMM's Members Opening: The museum opens tomorrow, free to all Miami-Dade residents. But if you're a museum member, you can check out the digs early.
4 - 9 p.m. Visit pamm.org.
MOCA & Vanity Fair International Party: The annual see-and-be-seen event is back, this time in celebration of Tracey Emin's first-ever solo museum show in the U.S. You've gotta be connected to get in (or at least know someone who is), but historically, this has been one Basel event worth shmoozing for.
7 p.m. Visit mocanomi.org.
Art Miami/CONTEXT Preview: This is probably the first and only time in history that the words Banksy and Cindy Crawford will appear in the same sentence. Art Miami's selling Banksy walls this year, and Ms. Crawford will make an appearance in support of her diamond-encrusted portrait on view in the fair's CC Lounge. No, really. Again, tonight's preview is VIP only, so you better know somebody.
5:30 - 10 p.m. Visit art-miami.com.
Miami Project: Last year, Miami Project debuted as the best art fair in Miami. What's in store for round two? Find out at tonight's preview, which unlike the area's more established (read: snottier) fairs, is open to the public.
4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Tickets cost $30. Visit miami-project.com.
Common Ground: Check out LAB's new IdeaGarden at its second annual group art exhibit.
Opening runs 9 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Visit eventbrite.com.
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