Breaking Basel: Miami New Times’ Guide to Art Basel 2013

Miami New Tiimes

By Carlos Suarez De Jesus

For those of us who call the Magic City home, too much of a good thing is never a problem. That’s unless we’re talking about the first week of December, when Art Basel in Miami Beach challenges our tolerance for excess and forces difficult decisions about what to see and what time and traffic will force us to skip.

More than 50,000 visitors have swept into town on a wave of the planet’s top art galleries and the talent they represent, all congregating here for the international art world’s foremost block party.

Inside the Miami Beach Convention Center, a select 260 galleries from 29 countries representing North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia are exhibiting 20th- and 21st-century artworks worth upward of $2.5 billion. More than 2,000 artists — from Picasso and Warhol to emerging geniuses and relative unknowns — will be represented at the big show. Experts estimate the fair will generate in excess of $500 million in sales.

Beyond the confines of Art Basel proper, more than 20 satellite fairs, snaking outward from South Beach to Wynwood and Little Havana, will draw an estimated 1,000 more galleries and an untold number of artists.

This week, South Florida transforms into an art lover’s paradise, with miles of outdoor murals and installations, pop-up shops mushrooming around town, and a new museum on the bay opening its doors for the first time — plus dozens of concerts, club parties, and DJ sets. They’re all competing to attract the eyes and ears of visiting glitterati and curious locals alike. It’s the height of our cultural calendar, offering an overwhelming menu of events that’s as challenging to navigate as it is to anticipate.

That’s why New Times has assembled the Magic City’s most comprehensive guide to the best fairs, the edgiest works, and the can’t-miss parties. Get ready to indulge in too much of a good thing as the whole world watches.

Above is a handy-dandy map of all the fairs. At the bottom is the key, and below are links to the rest of our informative guide. So read on!