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Vernissage
By Aaron Glickman
Art and parties. Parties and art. And a whole lot of money. For about a week, all of Miami gave way to the art world as Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) brought an international array of the world's biggest art dealers, collectors and curators to sunny South Florida.
In the first hour that ABMB opened its doors on Wednesday, December 6th at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the heavy hitters were ready to buy with many dealers selling out by days end. Famed collectors Eli Broad, the Rubells, David Tieger, Douglas Cramer and the de la Cruzes strolled the aisles with Calvin Klein, Dennis Hopper, Keanu Reeves and a jet-set, multilingual public.
I arrived at the ABMB Vernissage at around 5:00. Parking was a nightmare, and after waiting for a space in the flat rate lot, I headed over to Hall D to pick up my ticket. Walking ahead of me was a somewhat bloated, somewhat unkempt Keanu Reeves. His long hair was greasy and unwashed, and he wore a tight grey suit with high top sneakers. The suit appeared to be too small and the sneakers were simply odd. Several valets noticed Keanu and started shouting lines from his movies. He smiled and waived.
Once inside, I headed to the credentials desk. Keanu merged with the masses and that was the last I saw of him. The Convention Center had never looked so good. The white drapery that hung above the lobby had an Ian Schrager feel and there were two check points cordoned off with red velvet rope. Credentials were required to move on.
After receiving my credentials, I went to a special entrance that led to the VIP room. The scene inside was very social and had little to do with art. Sales centers for sponsors lined the perimeter. Several preconstruction real estate developments were represented, as well as an insurance company specializing in art, a preview booth for the soon to be completed BMW Museum, NetJets and Bulgari. UBS had a special VIP booth within the VIP area where a different set of credentials was required. I didn't have those, but I did manage to peer inside and catch a glimpse of Sanford and Delores Ziff. There was also a dedicated area to Perrier Jouet, but much to my surprise, it was $13 a glass. A cash bar in the VIP area?
I finally decided to move on and made my way past security and into the main hall. Overwhelming is the only word to describe what followed. I didn't know where to begin. Countless numbers of partitioned areas created a maze of miniature art galleries. I began to walk, simply taking it all in. Some pieces caught my eye, many did not. Certainly the enormous Warhol silkscreens of Marilyn Monroe were a showstopper. They were priced at a mere $1.5 million – a steal when compared to a Jean-Michel Basquiat that reportedly sold for $5.5 million. Then there were other pieces from lesser known contemporary artists that were wonderful and far less expensive. Mannequins also appeared to be a trend, many either distorting or enhancing the human form. And then there were those pieces, or entire areas, that were simply odd. A cigarette box set in the center of an empty space with invisible wire threads randomly moving it around was a fine example of the bizarre. Apparently it sold for over $100k.
Eventually I was lost, right in the middle of the convention center. I literally had no idea of where I was or in which direction I was facing. I heard one man say, "This is sick. This is sick. But it's fun." Another man passed wearing a black suede suite with brown Pumas. Suits and sneakers were a definite trend. Rolling carts with Perrier Jouet passed through the aisles, and at one point it dawned on me – amidst all of the extraordinary art on display, the most interesting exhibit of all was the people.
From then on, the evening was approached from a different perspective. Observing behavior, listening to conversations, and enjoying the unique blend of the artistic mindset intermingled with a multicultural mix of extravagant wealth and excess became my objectives -- two African American artists with long Mohawks; a woman asking a metrosexual male about the color of his pants; business moguls and socialites; fashion designers, architects, famed interior designers, magazine publishers, actors, directors, producers...
By evening’s end, I was exhausted, and entirely convinced that Miami had truly arrived as one of the world’s foremost cities. And as I ambled out of the Miami Beach Convention Center, the night sky now in place, and saw the enormous line of people waiting at the chaotic valet station, I knew one thing was for certain – parking in the flat rate lot was the best move of the night.
Art Basel Journal:
• Vernissage
• The Setai
• Dolce 10 Cane Rum
• The Design District |
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