We’re still in a tryptophan fog but visions of sugarplums have not quite begun to dance in our heads. This can only mean one thing: it’s the week of Art Basel Miami Beach. As always, the main fair arrives alongside an assortment of attendant installations, celebrations, satellite fairs, performances, and other art-involved events. The international art crowd has already begun descending on the shores of Miami Beach, but for those still planning their itineraries for the week, here’s our guide to the can’t-miss art fairs taking place in the city.
Art Basel
Leslie Martinez at And Now, Positions, Art Basel Miami Beach, 2022. Courtesy of Art Basel.
Where: Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive
When: VIP previews: Wednesday, December 6 and Thursday, December 7, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Public show days: Friday, December 8–Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to know: The marquee fair welcomes 277 galleries to its 21st edition, including 24 first-time exhibitors. The total exhibitor count is a slight drop from last year’s (283), but still more than in 2019, which saw 268 galleries take part. The fair’s 2023 edition will shine a spotlight on the Latin America scene and Caribbean diaspora, and marks the first ABMB under new director Bridget Finn, the veteran dealer and gallerist who was appointed its director in July and took the reins in September.
NADA Miami
NADA Art fair in Miami. Photo by Alycia Kravitz/CKA.
Where: Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Avenue
When: VIP preview: Tuesday, December 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Public show days: Tuesday, December 5, 4–7 p.m.; Wednesday, December 6–Friday, December 8, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to know: NADA returns for its 21st edition with a dynamic lineup of programming, including a performance by George Clinton. This year, the New Art Dealers Alliance’s Miami event welcomes more than 150 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations to its stately white film studio location in Downtown Miami—where the fair has been held since 2017—up slightly from last year’s 146 exhibitors, with 34 of the exhibitors new to NADA. NADA’s Curated Spotlight section, in its fourth year, will be arranged by Jenée-Daria Strand, assistant curator at the Public Art Fund.
Design Miami/
Installation view of Tuleste Factory at Design Miami/ 2022. Courtesy of Design Miami.
Where: Convention Center Drive and 19th Street
When: Preview day: Tuesday, December 5, 12–7 p.m. and Wednesday, December 6, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6, 1–7 p.m.; Thursday, December 7, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Friday, December 8–Saturday, December 9, 12–7 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 12–6 p.m.
What to know: A charming complement to the blue-chip bustle of Art Basel across the street, Design Miami shifts the focus from fine art to high-end design. It brings together familiar names such as Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Salon 94 Designs, next to top-dogs in the furniture and architectural design worlds including Adrian Sassoon, Todd Merrill Studio, and R & Company.
Untitled Art Fair
UNTITLED at Miami Beach, 2022. Photograph by Casey Kelbaugh/CKA
Where: Ocean Drive and 12th Street
When: VIP preview: Tuesday, December 5, 12–7 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6–Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
What to know: Untitled will arrive on Miami Beach (literally—its prefab structure is re-erected in the sand each year) for its 12th edition with the largest slate of galleries in its history, at 163. It’s also billed as the most international iteration of the fair to date, with 39 countries represented. This year’s curatorial theme is “Gender Equality in the Arts,” with almost 60 percent of the 600 of exhibiting artists identifying as female or non-binary, according to a statement from Untitled. Lastly, close to our heart is the fair’s Untitled Edit section, which is “aimed at furthering the crucial advancement of art criticism.” A worthy cause!
Art Miami
Installation view of Art Miami in 2022. Courtesy of Art Miami.
Where: One Herald Plaza at 14th Street on Biscayne Bay
When: VIP preview (invitation only): Tuesday, December 5, 4.30–10 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6–Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to know: Now in its 33rd edition, Art Miami is the city’s original and long-running art fair—it was there roughly a decade before Art Basel descended on the scene. This year’s edition has more than 170 galleries showing 900 artists from 31 countries. Highlights include: a large Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture at Opera Gallery; as well as showcases by Alexander McQueen’s nephew and former textile designer for his fashion house, Gary James McQueen, and Michael Chow aka Mr. Chow, the famed restauranteur and subject of a recent HBO documentary.
Art Miami founder Nick Korniloff himself is looking forward to the new work by living artists who have been inspired by global events. “There is going to be a lot to take in, process, and absorb,” Korniloff told Artnet News. “And to continue to meet all of the new residents that have moved to South Florida, along with the new business leaders of companies that have migrated south and now call Miami home.”
Context Art Miami
Context Art Miami, 2018. Courtesy of Context.
Where: One Herald Plaza at NE 14th St. on Biscayne Bay
When: VIP preview (invitation only): Tuesday, December 5, 4:30–10 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6–Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to know: At Art Miami’s sister fair Context, there will be 75 more galleries from 20 countries. Chicago’s Hilton Contemporary will also be showing a large-scale/interactive installation from OUCHHH, the creative media studio that has worked with everyone from Atelier des Lumières to Google, Nike to Lenny Kravitz. Not-to-be-missed highlights include: Nicolas Auvray Gallery’s presentation featuring Abstract art by Ted Hartley and Marco Cingolani among others, Ab-Ex works by Gerard Strichter and Paul Hughes, and figurative work by both renowned and emerging talents.
Aqua Art Miami
The Aqua Art Miami fair held at the Aqua Hotel in Miami Beach (2019). Courtesy Aqua Art Miami.
Where: The Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Avenue
When: VIP preview: Wednesday, December 6, 3–10 p.m.; Public show days: Thursday, December 7, 12–9 p.m.; Friday, December 8–Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m–9 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
What to know: Aqua Art Miami sticks to the old-school art fair model of operating in a hotel where individual galleries occupy single rooms to exhibit the art, an eclectic selection of work from young, emerging, and mid-career artists. The laidback vibe extends to a group of rooms with exhibitors and art that overlook a courtyard—a de facto fair lounge. This year, New York gallery Kraine, which is located in the East Village, makes its debut. The gallery “birthed from the iconic KGB Bar,” will present nightly immersive experiences with individual artists.
Satellite Art Show
Founder Brian Whiteley at the 2022 Satellite Art Show in Miami Beach. Photo by Sarah Cascone.
Where: 700 Lincoln Road
When: First view: Tuesday, December 5, 12 p.m.–10 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6–Saturday, December 9, 12–10 p.m.; Sunday, December 10, 12–5 p.m.
What to know: The artist-run fair ran afoul of some of its competitors earlier this year, but will return to Miami’s shores for its ninth edition this week nonetheless. Its new venue, a Halloween store on Lincoln Road, continues Satellite’s tradition of making use of non-traditional spaces. Besides being proximate to the main fair, the space will host more than 30 art installations (including, apparently, a “disaster chapel”), which are free to view for anyone who RSVPs.
Scope Art Show
Visitors at Scope, Miami Beach, 2022. Courtesy of Scope.
Where: 801 Ocean Drive
When: VIP preview: Tuesday, December 5, 4–8 p.m.; Public show days: Wednesday, December 6–Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
What to know: Just down the beach from Untitled, Scope is presenting its 21st edition with a new slate of emphatically contemporary artworks and projects from a group of over 110 international galleries. Since the fair first began 14 years ago, Scope has developed the reputation for bringing flashy, eye-catching works both into the fair’s tent and to project booths stationed right on the sand. This year, some of those more daring installations include a graffiti-inspired immersive work at the show’s entrance by Tomislav Topić, a bespoke skateboard ramp by Connor Tingley, and a dedicated tea room experiential installation by “Neo Wabi-Sabi” artist Takahiro Koga.
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