We've all got closets full of crap we can't use, and in this consumption-based society, we're more likely to haul it to the garbage bin than put it to any good use. But don't head to the dumpster just yet, especially not if you're skilled in the art of getting your name on fancy party lists. The FREE STORE is coming to South Beach for Basel, and if you're deemed worthy of an invitation, it wants your old stuff. Better yet, you can score stuff in return.
See also:
Art Basel Miami Beach 2012 Art Fairs and Gallery Guide
Invader to Appear in Public During Art Basel
A concept by multimedia artist Jonathan Horowitz, the store has previously popped up in galleries in New York and London. The guidelines are simple: "Bring stuff in you can't use, take stuff away that you can."
Organizers collected items in advance from a whole host of notables including artists Rob Pruitt, Maurizio Cattelan, Marilyn Minter, Carol Bove; fashion designer Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy; collectors Shelley Fox Aarons, Allison Sarofim, Eva Chow, Yvonne Force; and musician Michael Stipe. These include a flatscreen TV, a first edition Truman Capote, a Boy George T-Shirt and a vintage Courreges jacket.
Um, SCORE.
With this crowd, who knows what else the cast-offs might entail. Previous hauls have included designer clothes, rare books and LPs, antique figurines, and computers.
A Rolex? Jimmy Choos? An original Warhol? You can dream.
"It doesn't have to be an exchange. You can just bring stuff in or just take stuff away. I don't want there to be any rules. Hopefully some kind of golden rule will just naturally occur and people won't drop off socks with holes in them and take things away to sell on their own," Horowitz says of the project.
The founding editors of VISIONAIRE (the art and fashion pub), Cecilia Dean and James Kaliardos, partnered with luxury fashion sites NET-A-PORTER.com and MRPORTER.com to bring FREE STORE to life as part of the interactive art installation. They're setting up shop at the SLS Hotel South Beach.
In addition, attendees will be able to participate in a Digital Style Challenge where they'll be asked to create "the perfect look" using Microsoft's Kinect for Windows. Winners will score prizes from the sponsor websites.
Naturally, this event is invite-only. But if you've got an in, we highly suggest you pack a bag of hand-me-downs and get while the getting is good.
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