Arts & Culture

Art Basel is in full force this week, with practically every spot in Miami hosting a private art collection event, performance art piece, or concert. Some places are jumping in for the first time, while others have been perfecting their events over the years. Hôtel Gaythering’s Art Gaysel falls into the latter category.

Art Basel isn’t known for skirting political commentary. The fair is arguably even a barometer for the levels of extremism to which contemporary art is willing to go at any given moment. Last year, for example, galleries reacted pointedly to the election of Donald Trump by making last-minute changes to works on display at the behest of artists and the public.

Thirty years ago, before he made his foray into politics, Donald Trump had this crazy idea to create the most opulent, over-the-top casino the world had ever seen. He set his sights on Atlantic City, New Jersey; outbid rivals to purchase a monstrosity called the Taj Mahal; and slapped his name on the front for good measure.

Miami Art Week can be overwhelming, especially if you have champagne taste on a beer budget. So as the Magic City prepares to take on the annual art bacchanal, we’re here to guide you to some of the best events around town that’ll cost you a total of zero dollars.

Neon lights embody Miami’s essence. They’re simultaneously bright and shady, buzzing and beaming above hotel foyers and diner doorways, advertising restaurants, pawnshops, and strip clubs. Live in South Florida long enough, and you get used to their electric glow. You probably don’t even notice them anymore.

Plotting out a schedule for Miami Art Week can feel like a job daunting enough for a full detachment of obsessive military strategists. With thousands of art lovers flooding dozens of fairs all over Miami-Dade — from the biggest shindigs in Miami Beach packed with million-dollar pieces to the up-and-coming affairs with local creatives — it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But don’t sweat it. Here are our picks for the best fairs around town.

When Art Basel arrives, it can be easy to be swept up by all the art fairs that crop up around town. No Art Basel would be complete, however, without a visit to the galleries across Miami that often show their most ambitious exhibitions during the international fair.

We seek out the best of Basel that anyone can enjoy.

This year, Art Basel’s show at the Miami Beach Convention Center will charge $60 for a single day’s admission. For residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, that’s a small price to pay for access to an international cross section of contemporary art. For the gallerists, curators, and private collectors traveling to…

On the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami’s third floor, visitors are greeted by two nearly identical paintings by one of the most famous artists of the 20th Century. They depict the same image — an artist drawing a woman in his studio — and make use of the same vibrant color palette. A viewer can notice subtle distinctions in the lines and shapes used to build the scenes. But the style is impossible to confuse with any other artist’s: They were painted by Pablo Picasso.

Museums, institutions that preserve and produce culture, walk a tightrope of accessibility and excellence. They seek to attract a steady and wide-reaching audience while presenting compelling artwork that’s relevant to a broader conversation on art and its trends. Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the largest fine-art exhibitions in the…

Antonia Wright knows a thing or two about visceral experiences, and now she wants to put the spectator through one. The Miami-based performance artist has rolled naked in dingy, garbage-strewn alleys, walked thin ice to submerge herself in freezing water, and used her nude body as a force to burst through glass.

Haven’t stepped foot in a gallery or museum in months? That will probably change next week when the art world descends on Miami for Art Basel Miami Beach and the surrounding Miami Art Week activities. While some see Art Basel and its satellite fairs as a glorified flea market, it’s still…