Visual Arts

Even locals who don’t know squat about Miami Art Week can tell you about the old Drug Enforcement Administration warehouse on NW 29th Street, stacked year-round with contemporary artworks. The Rubell family has housed its extensive collection of contemporary art there for a quarter-century. But that era is coming to an end. Two years after the Rubell Family Collection (RFC) announced its intention to relocate to Allapattah in 2019, this December’s exhibit could be the last in its storied space.

The playgrounds of the rich and tasteful aren’t the focus of the Faena Festival, a free series of exhibitions and performances commissioned by the Faena District for Miami Art Week. For its inaugural program, the theme is “This Is Not America,”

Zoe Lukov, curator of the inaugural Faena Festival, uses Alfredo Jaar’s historic work, “A Logo for America,” as a jumping-off point. “If this is not America, what is it? What do we want it to be?” she poses, preferring to open a dialog rather than give direct answers. She addresses “the myths and narratives that separate us, and how to reimagine those in a way that fits our own lives.” The festival seeks to raise this and other questions through the lenses of performance, installation, video, and more.

Art Basel Miami Beach released its list of 2018 galleries this morning, and the numbers break down thusly: 268 galleries from 34 countries, two Miami art spaces, and zero surprises.

This past Monday, Fentress Architects released photos of the newly revamped Miami Beach Convention Center. At a glance, the new space is sleek and modern, and looks too expensive to touch. But a news release says there’s more to the $620 million makeover than aesthetics.

Grand Basel will celebrate cars as works of art at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Gardens Speak aims to bring the voices of ten people killed in the Syrian Civil War back from beyond the grave.

Let’s face it — Art Basel isn’t just about Miami Beach anymore. Not to mention, if you Uber or — God help you — drive to the Beach, with each year you have to ask yourself if the ever-increasing traffic is worth it. It makes sense that Downtown, the real center of our city, after all, is fast emerging as a home for the arts.This year, Art Miami, Miami’s oldest art fair, and sister fair CONTEXT catalyzed this movement by setting up shop in their new location at One Herald Plaza.

When you grow up here, you see Basel as a kind of abstract happening. It’s something your rich friends get to go to while you’re stuck at home prepping for Christmas and Hanukkah. Beyond the beaches and the walls of Wynwood, life goes on and celebrity sightings are nil. It’s just another week, but with worse traffic.

As idols fall and the charged conversation about gender inequality continues to gain momentum, communities and allies pop up in unlikely places. During Miami Art Week, one such unexpected event for feminist art and interaction is Fair, taking place at the top of Brickell City Centre through December 10.

It’s not easy having eyes all over the scene, being around to take in all the wild visuals at all the worthwhile places in the city. There are, however, those parties and gallery openings where a fortunate photographer can point and shoot. Every week, in collaboration with WorldRedEye, New Times…

In August, Charleston City Paper published the stories of four local artists who took legal action against Rebekah Jacob of Rebekah Jacob Gallery for allegations of untimely payment, damaged work, lost work, and nonpayment. Jacob is also the gallerist behind Vedado Gallery, which is part of Scope Art Show in Miami Beach this week.

The Parade Against Patriarchy comes at the close of a year when women rose up to say “no more” to sexual harassment, among many other consequences that result from a patriarchal system.

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…