Art Basel in Miami Beach has just two more days to go before its over, and so much has already gone on in the past three days that we could barely keep up with all the news. Welcoming over 250 of the world's leading galleries and bringing in over 70,000 visitors each year including the uber-wealthy, art enthusiasts and celebrities, the event is a world-class affair along the sandy beaches of Florida. To give you a glimpse into what has gone on over the week, we put together a list of some of our most memorable moments (and one we’d like to forget) during Art Basel 2014.
BVLGARI reveals the new Bal Harbor boutique redesign by renowned architect #PeterMarino during #ArtBaselMiami pic.twitter.com/nDRJiCT8uh
— Bulgari (@Bulgariofficial) December 5, 2014
Design: On Wednesday, Peter Marino was honored with the inaugural Design Visionary Award after showcasing One Way: Peter Marino, a survey of his work at the Bass Museum curated by Jérôme Sans. Marino is known in the design community as the retail architect behind the flagship boutiques Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and other of fashion's most coveted labels. The following day, the American architect unveiled his latest masterpiece, Bulgari's first Marino-designed store in Bal Harbour.
🌅 foreground: #geanmoreno & #ernestooroza , background: #markhandforth http://t.co/52wwcU7R60 pic.twitter.com/I81UwDXVGc
— Kenneth Schlenker (@kschlenker) November 30, 2014
Art: You’ve heard it said at just about every museum and exhibit, “Don’t Touch the Art!” But, there’s almost always that one person who chooses to defy the rules (or is just plain clumsy). Unfortunately, sometime late Thursday evening, Gean Moreno and Ernesto Oroza's work Drywood which featured 12 concrete spheres on the floor with beach towels meshed into them, was damaged. One of the spheres was broken in half; the total extent of the damage and the circumstances that led to it are unclear. The private event was open to PAMM Sustaining level members and above and Art Basel Miami Beach, DesignMiami and Art Miami VIP cardholders.
#RyanMcNamara 'ME3M 4 MIAMI: A STORY BALLET ABOUT THE INTERNET' @ArtBasel #ABMB2015 pic.twitter.com/W2CITPEE0g
— Art Observed (@ArtObserved) December 5, 2014
Performance: One of the biggest highlights thus far is no doubt, Ryan McNamara’s ME3M 4: A Story Ballet About the Internet, which is an updated version of his Performa 13 work. Kicking off Art Basel at the Miami Grand Theater at the Castle Beach Resort, McNamara used a rotating set of ballet performers to take viewers on a wild ride through the Internet’s social platforms and its vast depths. Audience members were seated in cushioned office chairs and were then wheeled around throughout the theater; all the while listening to a soundtrack of hip hop, house music and drum beats. The mesmerizing and overly-stimulating performance was one not to be missed.
You've got to see these photos of Miley Cyrus' outfit (or lack thereof) at Art Basel tonight! http://t.co/1PxN3Hwzog pic.twitter.com/AbQi6G91M3
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) December 4, 2014
Music: It’s kind of a yawn-factor these days to talk about Miley Cyrus doing something crazy or half-naked (give us a story on her fully-clothed and we’ll be more interested), but after her emotional performance on Wednesday night at Raleigh Hotel in South Beach, she once again made headlines. Donning a silver wig and matching sparkly nipple pasties, the Wrecking Ball artist took the stage to talk about her dark past, smoke pot and sing mostly covers which included her rendition of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. The 22-year-old singer danced alongside performers in mushroom and shark costumes, while floating bubbles filled the air. Cyrus was among the top-billed acts during the star-studded week.
Meet #Usher, the Art Collector http://t.co/JvKINTYhYI #modernart #artbasel #fineart #collectors pic.twitter.com/rF2J4M9Bkg
— dailyFIRSTPAGES (@dailyFIRSTPAGES) December 5, 2014
Weirdest Celeb Story: Reportedly, Usher charged his phone in a woman’s, ahem, private area. As a part of the Official Art Gallery of SATAN’s installation, a naked woman was allowing iPhone users to charge their phones in her whoo-ha and apparently, Usher obliged. Everything about this story is uncomfortable and we didn’t look into the details of how it works, but hey, art is…art, right?
