Whether you call it Miami Art Week, Miami Art and Design Week, or simply refer to all seven days of surprise and delight by the name of the hero fair that started it all—Art Basel Miami Beach—the annual, sun-soaked extravaganza is once again upon us. Each December, the greater Miami area comes to life as galleries, collectors, museum directors, foundations, and the art curious arrive to the Magic City for a constellation of blue chip art and design fairs.
The City of Miami Beach even dresses itself up in inspiring annual commissions—this year with Jen Stark’s mural and site-specific installation over Española Way, Sundial Spectrum, the latest vibrant public art addition. The seven fairs we’ve selected warrant a time commitment, but they’re far from the only ones that deserve a visit.
Art Basel Miami Beach
A sprawling survey of the contemporary art world today, as presented by a global roster of top galleries, Art Basel Miami Beach is divided into several sections—those of general exhibitors, and those adhering to more specific rules, like the large-scale works defining Meridians, or the emerging galleries with solo presentations in Positions. 268 galleries from 38 countries will participate this year—under the direction of new director, Bridget Finn—with notable exhibitors ranging from White Cube and Gagosian to Tanya Bonakdar, Jeffrey Deitch, Pace, Rachel Uffner, Almine Rech, David Zwirner and more. To tour the entire show requires many hours.
Dec. 6-8 Miami Beach Convention Center 1901 Convention Center Drive Miami Beach, FL 33139
Design Miami
For its 20th edition, Design Miami will orient its offerings toward the theme “Blue Sky,” the vision of curatorial director Glenn Adamson. This direction allows immense artistic and aesthetic exploration by the design galleries, designers and collaborators participating in what has become the leading collectible design showcase. This iteration will host the largest installation of pieces from The Future Perfect, including pieces by Lindsey Adelman, Chris Wolton, and Vikram Goyal. R&Company, Todd Merrill Studio, and Carpenters Workshop Gallery will also present. A sculptural ode to Pharrell Williams, the Pharrell’s Echoes series, will also premiere from Dubai-based designer Roham Shamekh.
Dec. 3-8 Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach
Alcova Alcova—the independent, Milan-based fair that sets contemporary design pieces in unexpected places—returns to Miami for its second international iteration. This year, the event pops-up within the South River Drive Historic District’s River Inn, Miami’s oldest hotel, which dates back to 1908. There, Alcova will host the work of 40 exhibitors, ranging from cultural organizations to independent designers. Among the expected highlights, Istanbul-based designer Sema Topaloglus will present her latest project, “The Nonconformist Tropical Garden,” a kaleidoscopic bedroom scene with whimsical hand-crafted glass embellishments. L.A.-based designer Jialun Xiong will unveil “Something Last,” a pensive group exhibition of monochromatic pieces, a soundscape and scented candles; the artists and designers involved include Cindy Hsu Zell, Devin Wilde, Jialun Xiong, Mary Ratcliffe Studio, Vy Voi Studio, and Xiaoyan Wei.
Dec. 3-9
River Inn
437 SW 2nd St, Miami, FL 33130
Untitled Art Fair
Set in an airy, expansive tent atop the sands of Miami Beach, Untitled Art Fair is an inspiring, navigable contemporary art fair led by guest curators Kathy Huang and Jungmin Cho. This year 176 international exhibitors—their largest to date—will gather under the curatorial focus of “East Meets West.” Beyond the exemplary curation, a programming slate includes both panel talks and performance pieces. Anticipated highlights include Geary Contemporary’s showcase of artist duo Ghost of a Dream and presentations by Library Street Collective, Nino Miery Gallery, Southern Guild, and albertz benda.
More than 150 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations will compose the participant roster of NADA Miami, the independent fair’s 22nd edition, 59 of which will be first-time exhibitors. In addition to the diverse presentations, NADA will reintroduce their Curated Spotlight section, featuring galleries selected by curator Jasmine Wahi. This edition’s programming will extend to NADA Presents, a conversation series at the confluence of art and culture. Zurich’s Blue Velvet, NYC’s Dinner Gallery, Miami’s Nina Johnson, L.A.’s Moskowitz Bayse, London’s The Cob Gallery, as well as Ceysson & Bénétière, Galería del Paseo are expected as highlights.
The Scope Art Show will open doors to a spectacular beachside pavilion for its 23rd Miami edition. Within the walls of the contemporary art fair, dedicated to emerging galleries and artists from around the world, 85 exhibitors will present alongside panels, performances, wellness activations, and culinary pop-ups. From Johannesburg’s The Melrose Gallery to Toronto’s Spence Gallery, Warsaw’s Mag Gallery, Sitges’ I Le Gallery, and Bogotá’s Indiana Bond, as well as a number of Miami galleries, the spectrum of art present is vast,
Across the Intracoastal from Miami Beach, Miami’s longest running contemporary art fair, Art Miami welcomes guests to a spacious pavilion with row upon row populated by works from leading contemporary art galleries and artists. The venue houses the Context art fair, as well. Within Art Miami, domestic galleries—like Contessa, Ethan Cohen, Octavia, Seizan, and Diana Lowenstein Gallery—join international presentations by the likes of Singapore’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Denmark’s In The Gallery, France’s Leila Murdoch Gallery, Korea’s Gallery Grimson, and Colombia’s Galería Casa Cuadrada.
Dec. 3-8 The Art Miami Pavilion One Herald Plaza NE 14th Street & Biscayne Bay, Miami, FL 33132
