Blood, Sweat, and Art Fairs

With all the free-booze scheming, artsy schmoozing, rabid-collector fighting, and gallerist drama going down this week, it’s easy to forget the whole point of this Art Basel thing: to pour your soul into a work and hope someone will see enough value to hand you money for rent. Thankfully, opening...

By Gabriela Garcia

November 25, 2010

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With all the free-booze scheming, artsy schmoozing, rabid-collector fighting, and gallerist drama going down this week, it’s easy to forget the whole point of this Art Basel thing: to pour your soul into a work and hope someone will see enough value to hand you money for rent. Thankfully, opening this week is a play that reminds us of all the blood and sweat that is necessary for this glitzy week of art fairs. In Zoetic Stage’s inaugural production, South Beach Babylon, one of Miami’s most illustrious playwrights, Michael McKeever (who was a gallery artist himself), explores the meaning of creating art, selling it, and selling out. It dramatizes the lives of five artists during the weeks before a massive art fair rolls into town. Take a break from the art catalogues and free martinis this Thursday to explore the existential crises behind creating. The play begins at 8 p.m. at the Arsht Center’s Carnival Studio Theater and runs through December 12.
Dec. 2-12, 8 p.m., 2010

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