Notes: The Spectacular Moments That Defined Miami Art Week 2023
From Art Basel Meridians to a moody Philippe Starck and Mortlach dinner lit only by candles, a theatrical Sukeban wrestling pop-up under an overpass, White Cube’s annual beachfront bash, an elegant Ginori 1735 cocktail in a private garden, HigherDose and Muse at the Vivid Suite and more
A dazzling, dizzying series of days, Miami Art Week 2023 delivered enough inspiration, design, sunshine and champagne to get every attendee into the new year. Once again, two attributes defined the artful extravaganza—Art Basel Miami Beach itself, and Miami’s own fleet of art and design institutions (from The Bass Museum to ICA Miami, PAMM and more). Coupled with this were innumerable collaborations, partnerships, activations, satellite fairs and outdoor installations that spun locals and visitors from South Beach to the Miami Design District and back again. We’ve already explored some highlights—two sensorial experiences from Alex Israel, a magical emerging artist’s Miami debut at NADA, Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel‘s interactive Lexus installation, nostalgic reimagined toys and more. Further, we intend to explore other stories in-depth, like Italian design fair Alcova‘s eccentric, engaging Miami debut. So much happens during Miami Art Week that no two schedules are ever exactly alike and that’s part of the fun of it—the desire to do as much as you can, to drink from the overflowing font of creativity. The following ten occurrences were on my calendar, among many other worthwhile events, but stood out for their marriage of substance and spectacle.
Mortlach x Starck Dinner
Hosted on a derelict floor of an abandoned department store and illuminated only with hundreds of candles, an intimate dinner organized by Mortlach whisky centered around an announcement that renowned designer Philippe Starck would take on the role of their creative director. The move celebrates the single malt scotch brand’s 200th anniversary and the gathering teased to the spring 2024 release of the MORTLACH x STARCK debut collection. Over the last few years, Mortlach has become one of our home-bar staples and mysterious activations like this contribute to the allure.
Japanese Women Wrestling League Sukeban’s World Championship Match
2,000 people assembled under and a highway overpass in Downtown Miami’s Lot 11 Skatepark for the world championship match of Japanese women’s wrestling league Sukeban. The wildly theatrical event was more than art-tangential. Industrial designer Marc Newson designed the championship belt—and fashion designer Olympia Le-Tan is not only the league’s creative director, but also a co-founder. “It made sense to time the match to Miami Art Week,” Le-Tan explains in a statement, “given all of the amazing creatives that are involved in the project, from Marc Newson and Ayako Ishiguro to Isamaya Ffrench.”
Art Basel Miami Beach Meridians
Curated by Magalí Arriola, Art Basel Miami Beach Meridians remains an absolute must-see at the fair each year. This section is dedicated to large-scale artworks and the magnitude of each piece is coupled with a commitment to detail and nuance. From the whimsy of Masako Miki’s “Hyakki Yagho, Night Parade of 100 Demons” (via CULT Exhibitions) to the wonder of Seung-taek Lee’s monumental “Earth Play” inflatable rendition of the planet (courtesy of Gallery Hyundai), the roster of works transported attendees.
Southern Guild, Villa Albertine, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Aman Interiors and Marina Abramović at Design Miami/ 2023
Without fail, Design Miami/ remains a COOL HUNTING favorite year after year. This milestone edition follows the fair’s successful Paris debut earlier this year. Contributing to the inspiring sensations we associated with this Miami iteration were Villa Albertine and Mobilier National‘s all-white installation curated by Alban Roger, Marina Abramović‘s empowering meditation chairs with HAADA Gallery, Lagos-based designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello‘s upcycled works (and the story of their inception) at Marta Los Angeles, Kengo Kuma’s furniture for Aman Interiors and Porky Hefer‘s cocoon-like pieces with Southern Guild.
“Porky’s work has a transformative power: sitting inside his large seating pods is to experience a new way of inhabiting space that brings you home to your senses,” Southern Guild co-founder Trevyn McGowan tells CH. “The effect is physical, emotional and cerebral, often prompting us to reflect on issues of consumption, waste and our relationship with the natural world. His work is located at the precipice of art and design, embodying a playfully disruptive approach that echoes the gallery’s collapsing of different categories.”
The Vivid Suite
In a spacious suite at The Goodtime Hotel, creative agency No.9 selected a roster of brands to demonstrate the future of the wellness industry. Aptly entitled the Vivid Suite, the immersive destination presented luxury products and programming like micro-dosing sessions courtesy of Muse, a pop-up spa with HigherDOSE, sexual wellness items courtesy of Hello Cake, non-alcoholic drinks from Levity and a sleep kit by Franny’s Farmacy. Coupled with these experiences, and anchoring the suite to art week, was a group exhibition featuring No.9 emerging artists: Wacky Backy, a Miami-based sculptor who showcased her BUD & DOOBIE pieces, LA-based glassblower Tyler Barry and NYC-based artist Stephanie Ketty.
Lizzie Gill’s Sold-Out Show at Untitled Art Fair
At the beloved beachfront Untitled Art Fair, multimedia artist and CH favorite Lizzie Gill‘s solo booth with Millerton, NY-based Geary Contemporary was not only a highlight for us—but for attendees, as well. The show sold out before the end of the fair. Through her work at Untitled, Gill mined the concept of “women in translation.” Her layered process—which includes extracting images from museum catalogs or early 20th century magazines, transferring and sanding them, then enhancing them with acrylic paint and marble dust emulsion—forges an eye-catching dimensionality.
White Cube Gallery’s Annual Party at Soho Beach House
Art Basel Miami Beach is as known for its late-night parties as it is for its art and design fairs. Once again, the hottest ticket in town was the White Cube party in a tent on the sand at Soho Beach House. Commencing with an informal dinner at 7PM, and stretching well after midnight—with a performance by Ezra Collective that got guests dancing—the annual VIP fête did not disappoint.
Jonathan Kent Adams at Art Gaysel
A free-to-attend art fair that spotlights the work of LGBTQ+ artists, Art Gaysel at Hotel Gaythering continues to amass a devout audience for the quality of work presented and its commitment to representation of diverse voices. This year saw the return of Water Valley, Mississippi-based figurative painter Jonathan Kent Adams—and his entrancing multi-work exhibition was one of uncompromising beauty.
Ginori 1735’s Reborn Project Reception at The M Building
Though the enchanting Italian porcelain producer Ginori 1735‘s centerpiece exhibition took place at Design Miami/, where the heritage brand unveiled the fourth edition of their beloved Reborn Project—this time conceived of and curated by Frédéric Chambre—it was their elegant, garden-side reception at The M Building that set the standard for cocktail hours. It was a lush, convivial celebration of the Reborn Project, which, as the name implies, features reinventions of their classic porcelain tableware designs by collaborative international artists.
Sebastian Errazuriz for Faena Art
Erected on the beach for Faena Art by multi-disciplinary artist and designer (and COOL HUNTING favorite) Sebastian Errazuriz, “MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self” is a contemporary variation on a traditional monolithic maze. Rather than disorient visitors, its design aimed to bring people together and to encourage dialogue, especially in the central plaza.
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