From Pablo Picasso's Guernica to the "degenerate art" of Otto Dix, art has always been a way to place political and social unease into context. With the specter of a Trump presidency looming over America for the next four years, rest assured that plenty of the works at Art Basel and its satellite fairs will address the impending political change.
What better way to put your anxiousness at ease than nonstop partying?
tweet this
To counter all the heavy subject matter, you'll need a break. Lucky for you, there'll be no shortage of distraction this week. And what better way to put your anxiousness at ease than the nonstop partying of Miami Art Week?
Events run the gamut, from invite-only soirées likely to end up on Page Six, to the far-flung warehouse parties taking advantage of the extra bodies in town. Here are some of the week's highlights.
1. Nautilus Cabana Club Beach Tent. 11 p.m. Tuesday, November 28, at Nautilus, 1825 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Invite-only.
Last year, the Nautilus (1825 Collins Ave., Miami Beach) made a splash during Miami Art Week, complete with a very VIP beachside tent that was harder to get into than Trump Tower with its current security detail. This year, New York nightclub Up&Down plays hosting duties. The beachside tent, which will begin buzzing nightly at 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, will remain the brag-worthiest event of the week.
2. Rockwell, 743 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-793-3882; rockwellmiami.com.
Further down the strip, Up&Down's sister club, 1 Oak, will take over Rockwell (743 Washington Ave., Miami Beach), which should prove easier to access than the Nautilus' beachside bash. On a regular night, Rockwell is able to pull in hip-hop heavyweights, so during Basel, the sky's limit on whom you might spot.
3. The Fourth Annual III Points Art Basel Concert Series; iiipoints.com.
Still recovering from October's III Points? Well, no time for rest, because the festival's organizers are back with their annual Basel offerings. There are enough musical performances this year to make another three-day event, but this time they are spread across three venues in Miami's Little River and Little Haiti neighborhoods. Highlights include Young Thug and Shlohmo at the Warehouse at Magic City Studios (6300 NE Fourth Ave., Miami) Thursday; Todd Terje, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and Tim Sweeney at the Factory at Magic City Studios (6301 NE Fourth Ave., Miami) Friday; and Nick Murphy (AKA Chet Faker) and Mount Kimbie at the Warehouse at Magic City Studios this Saturday. The only art here will be the beats pouring from the speakers.
4. Red Bull Music Academy Presents: 12 Hours of NAAFI, with LAO, Imaabs, and more. 5 p.m. Thursday, December 1, at Coyo Taco, 2300 NW Second Ave., Miami; coyo-taco.com; 305-573-8228. Admission is free with RSVP via 12hoursofnaafi.splashthat.com.
Red Bull Music Academy is bringing the party to Wynwood with the 12-hour takeover of Coyo Taco (2300 NW Second Ave., Miami) Thursday at 5 p.m. With the help of Mexican party collective and record label NAAFI, the appropriately named 12 Hours of NAAFI will bring the best in postclub with sets by collective members Mexican Jihad, Fausto Bahia, Lao, Imaabs, Paul Marmota, and Zutzut, along with special guests Venus X, Jubilee, Tygapaw, and Santa Muerte. In addition to all of this music, Mexico City art duo Sangree will also showcase its work, which typically merges faux Aztec artifacts with contemporary aesthetics such as punk, skate culture, and global brands.
5. Catwalk: A Night of Vogue with MikeQ, False Witness, Gooddroid, Bonnie Beats, and MC WillO Mizrahi. 10 p.m. Friday, December 2, at Sandbar Lounge, 6752 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Free admission.
If you're still not over the demise of Grand Central, Catwalk, the monthly party that used to take place in the now-defunct club's upstairs dance den, the Garret, returns for one night only during Basel this Friday at 10 p.m. at Sandbar Lounge (6752 Collins Ave., Miami Beach). Part of NADA Miami Beach's NADAWAVE series of events, Catwalk: A Night of Vogue promises tons of fierceness and death drops when voguers hit the runway. Music will be provided by MikeQ, False Witness, Gooddroid, and Bonnie Beats, while WillO Mizrahi takes over MC duties.
6. Scope Art Show. 8 p.m. Saturday, December 3, at Ora, 2000 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; oranightclub.com.
Always a guaranteed good time, Scope's opening party ditches the longtime VH1 collaboration and picks up record label Fool's Gold instead. This invite-only party Saturday at 9 p.m. also serves as the opening of Ora Nightclub (2000 Collins Ave., Miami Beach), which is taking over the space formerly occupied by the short-lived Adore. For Scope's bash, Fool's Gold has tapped Theophilus London and Nick Hook to DJ and Kissey for a live performance.
Here's the full list of all the parties happening during Art Basel and Miami Art Week.
