The Six Stages Of Miami Art Basel

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Let's get this part out of the way — Miami  Beach Art Basel isn't really about art in any sort of pure sense of the word. But it certainly is about the business of cultural marketing. While museums, auctions, galleries, studios and international fairs are more integral to the art world, Miami Art Basel has become an annual touchpoint for talking about art to big audiences and for art collectors to strut their stuff. At the end of day it's a week-long art party.

Miami Art Basel was founded ten years ago as an off-shoot of the more subdued and refined Swiss counterpart that is held in June. It was always defined by the temptation of sunshine in December, an event set in a semi-tropical town known for its raging nightclubs, boutique hotels and consistent migration of celebrity. For all of these reasons and more the critics are using the Basel metaphor for a discussion about what's gone awry in art consumption in recent days.  It's become so big that Art Basel has become a major source of income for the entire Miami Beach community as it continues to spill from South Beach deeper into Miami proper.

Sure, there is plenty of art to see around town in the weeks leading up to Art Basel, a ridiculous amount, actually from the main fair, to the satellite fairs like SCOPE, PULSE, NADA and Design Miami, to every square inch of Miami real estate where an installation of some sort could be staged.  In that smorgasbord there are dozens of standout exhibits, like Bill Viola's solo exhibition at the Miami Contemporary Museum of Art. But mostly, art for art's sake is not what you'll get at Miami Art Basel. After a few days, it's hard to keep all the colors, shapes, sculptures and moving images apart, as interpretation is blurred by bleary overstimulated eyes.

Instead, what Art Basel in Miami provides is a perfect stage. Here is the place for the international jet setters to party, gossip and to stage folly.  High-powered lunches take place near swimming pools. Photo shoots are staged on the beach. The ultimate status is reserved for the well connected who skip lines and breeze in and out of venues and rub elbows with the tastemakers. The most important thing to remember about attending at Art Basel, (unless you are a director at a high-end gallery tallying up the sales) is not to take it all that seriously. For that, the art world has New York City and London, where beaches are definitely not part of the draw.  And while you'll never see all of Art Basel, here's a basic six stage breakdown of what you may experience.

The Fair(s):  The most optimum way to attend the fair is to score a VIP pass that allows early access especially if you're angling for a purchase from a major gallery. Champagne is served at 11 a..m. before the gargantuan crowds come. The fair is bigger than ever, and  it takes a full day to see everything in the convention center cubicles, including the people watching that goes on. A few works that caused a buzz:  the lego sculpture by Cuban artists Los Carpinteros, Richard Prince's "Nurse in a Panic" and a birdhouse by Nick Cave.. The daily art talks by major curators, directors and artists present a reason to return. In addition to Art Basel, there are two dozen other art fairs being staged around town.  See this list on Art Info to start planning for next year.

The Private Collection: There are those collections you'll only hear whispered of and need to be invited to see privately or at a hosted event (such as Salon 94's invite to view Mr. Alexander Rodriguez's assemblage of pop art), but several private collections in Miami are now open to the public including the Rubells and the De La Cruz family collections, which are regularly rotated to focus on different works. This year the de la Cruz's focused on works by two dozen artists including Rashid Johnson, Glenn Ligon, Dan Colen and Tauba Auerbach.

The Museums: The Miami museums offer a more civilized, contained way to experience art. There's Miami Museum of Contemporary Art, the Bass Museum of Art and the Miami Museum of Art for your liking.

The Parties: Miami is the ultimate art party. The performance to be at this year was by Ingrid who performed at the MOCA LA/Vanity Fair party held at the Raleigh Hotel; it's the annual party organized by Jeffrey Deitch. The band was made up of Lykke Li, Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow,  Björn Yttling and Pontus Winnberg from Peter Björn and John. Lykke Li performed the final song, "Young Folks," smoking and whistling simultaneously. Later that evening A$AP Rocky performed just down the street at the Delano Hotel at the Hole Gallery party. Guest of a Guest even organized a music guide for Art Basel.  The most exclusive events, such as gallery hosted dinners, require invitations -- Lisson Gallery held a dinner at Milos and White Cube invited guests to the Soho House.Roger Dubuis and Dom Perignon held a party with celebs such as Martha Stewart and Ray Allen in attendance.

The Murals: As the fair has grown in proportion, so has its boundaries. The Design District has taken on a more colorful face with murals painted on several blocks. The central point for this work is the Wynwood Walls, which was founded by real estate developer Tony Goldman. Kenny Scharf, Futura and Shepard Fairey have permanent works on display that are worth the trek to this side of town.

The Traffic: The major downfall of Miami Art Basel? It's nearly impossible to see everything, because from the beginning of the weekend to the Sunday close, the traffic is horrendous. If Miami is going to host this and make it viable for growth, solutions are needed for the infrastructure.

The Brands: What luxury brand isn't salivating over Art Basel? The brand party seemed to the solution this year with Chanel, Perrier-Jouët, Roger Dubuis, Dior Homme and Dom Perignon had their names on evening events.

The Pool: Isn't this where Miami starts and ends? Miami loves new, so The SLS  Hotel  and the James Royal Palm made for interesting scenes.  In the early part of the day, museum curators sit with artists and dealers. By the late evening after the serious collectors have gone home, the stuff that happens, well, that's all just art world legend.

