Every year, Miami Beach plays host to many of the world’s most talked-about art fairs. This year’s exhibitions and VIP events feature a number of acclaimed artists, and are sure to draw an international crowd of collectors, curators, and connoisseurs.

Tracey Emin: Angel without You is on view from December 4, 2013 to March 9, 2014 at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), 770 NE 125th Street, Miami, FL 33161.

In collaboration with The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami, Tracey Emin (British, b.1963) is presenting a series of works entitled Tracy Emin: Angel without You as part of Art Basel Miami Beach. A well-known member of the Young British Artists, Emin’s multimedia works and installations are deeply autobiographical, often engaging in an intensely emotional experience with the viewer. Angel without You takes a look at the role that neon installations have played in her work, bridging Emin’s artistic transition between highly personal works and more open-ended pieces. The exhibition also includes Emin’s film Why I Never Became a Dancer (1995), which features scenes from the artist’s tumultuous childhood and adolescence. Many of the neon works on display were transcribed from the artist’s own handwriting, exemplifying Emin’s innovative style and emphasizing her importance as a Contemporary artist. Lehmann Maupin, which represents the artist in New York, will also be displaying her neon works in their booth at Art Basel Miami Beach.

Tracey Emin, installation view, Lehmann Maupin, Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami, FL

In addition, White Cube, which represents the artist in London, will be displaying her new embroidery works. Emin debuted at the gallery’s São Paulo space when it first opened in 2012, with the exhibition You Don’t Believe in Love But I Believe in You.

A Portrait of Marina Abramovic screens nightly from December 4 to 7 in the Jewel Box at the YoungArts campus, 2100 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33137.

YoungArts, an organization dedicated to promoting new and emerging artists, is presenting the premiere of the new short film A Portrait of Marina Abramović by Matthu Placek. The 3-D, six-minute film is a portrait of the acclaimed performance artist Marina Abramović (Serbian, b.1946), in which she appears nude in a completely empty room of her soon-to-be-completed performance art center, Marina Abramovic Institute in Hudson, NY. The film consists of a dramatic single shot, which complements the dynamic 3-D format, and the soundtrack is a translation of an ancient Greek song performed by Serbian singer Svetlana Spajic. The film’s sparseness serves as a tribute to the artist’s power, which speaks for itself. Abramovic, well-known for her ability to evoke an emotional response from her viewers, particularly in her 2010 MoMA exhibition, The Artist is Present, is portrayed here with an intense energy that is uniquely hers. Free public screenings will be held during Art Basel in Miami Beach, December 4–7, 2013, every 15 minutes beginning at 6 p.m. in the Jewel Box on the YoungArts Campus.

Artist Marina Abramovic at the UNTITLED Art Fair opening party at Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami, FL

Art Miami, VIP Preview took place Tuesday, December 3, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Pérez Art Museum, 101 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33130.

The artnet team had the opportunity to attend a VIP event at the Perez Art Museum for an exclusive preview of Art Miami and CONTEXT. The preview included a first look at many of the artists featured in the fairs, and was expected to draw a crowd of more than 3,000 collectors, curators, artists, and connoisseurs. Participating galleries included the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, featuring mixed-media works by Radcliff Bailey (American, b.1968) and Rebecca Rutstein. In addition, Sundaram Tagore Gallery displayed works by acclaimed painter Kim Joon (Korean, b.1966).

The event was scheduled to coincide with the grand reopening of the Perez Art Museum (formerly the Miami Art Museum), an overhaul that took nearly three years to complete. Its completion further solidifies Miami’s reputation as an ever-growing center for important art and art events.

Rebecca Rutstein, installation view, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Art Miami, VIP Preview, Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL

28 Chinese is on view from December 4, 2013 to August 1, 2014 at the Rubell Family Collection, 95 NW 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127.

28 Chinese represents the culmination of the Rubells’ six research trips to China between 2001 and 2012, where they visited artists’ studios throughout the country. The 28 artists represented include internationally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b.1957), as well as up-and-coming artists like Wang Xingwei (Chinese, b.1969) and Xie Molin (Chinese, b.1979). For many of these artists, it will be their first exhibition in the United States. The show includes paintings, sculptures, and video installations, and represents a range of styles. To celebrate the opening of 28 Chinese, Jennifer Rubell will be presenting a new, large-scale, food-based installation titled Faith.

Qiu Zhijie, installation view, Rubell Family Collection, Miami, FL

artnet’s Daniel Pellenberg visits Zhu Jinshi’s Boat installation, Rubell Family Collection, Miami, FL