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Art Basel Miami Beach Explodes with Celebrities and Overcrowded Parties

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By: Lieba Nesis

Art Basel Miami Beach ran from December 1-3rd as over 60,000 attendees gathered from around the globe to celebrate the 20th anniversary in Miami Beach.  The fair was the largest yet with 282 premier galleries from 38 countries and territories as well as 25 galleries participating for the first time at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Why the event is only three days when they have a captive audience of billionaires and the who’s who of the world is a mystery.

A packed bar in the Design District. The District describes itself as a creative neighborhood and shopping destination dedicated to innovative fashion, design, art, architecture and dining.

Most of the big sales took place within the first two hours of the Tuesday November 28th VIP preview and they included: a 1998 Agnes Martin painting for $7 million, an Andy Warhol 1964 Flower painting for $3.8 million at Pace, a mixed media canvas by Mark Bradford for $2.5 million, and a Philip Guston from Hauser & Wirth for $7 million.  Billionaire Gallerist Jeffrey Deitch was coined the social butterfly of the fair with a goddess themed booth that was a focal point for attendees such as Martha Stewart and Eric Andre. Dealers are bracing for a bumpy ride with a sluggish economy and the crypto debacle.  According to the “Art Newspaper” there were other contributing factors to the slowdown in sales including the frenzied pandemic art buying over the past two years and the recent New York auctions where Christie’s alone sold $2 billion of art dampening the enthusiasm in Miami. Miami never matches Switzerland in terms of activity and many sellers held back their most valuable materials for the gloomy days ahead.

The Michelob Ultra Party was a swinging place to be on the Art Basel scen

As a participant in this year’s activities the festival seemed more alive and exciting then years prior.  Whereas in the past the Faena Hotel was the center of festivities this year The 1 Hotel, the W South beach and Setai took over with a palpable electricity in their lobbies and bar area.  Moreover, the mega crowds seeking to party populated the vast swath of Miami including South Beach, the Design District, Wynwood, Brickell and North Miami where traffic was at a near standstill.  Both men and women wore the most elaborate fashion getups possible where it was readily apparent both time and money were no object.  I encountered people from Brazil, Argentina, Dubai, California, Austria and Italy. The usual cast of celebrities attended including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, Hailey Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, Venus and Serena Williams, Jared Leto, Diddy, Pharrell Williams and Madonna.  It is safe to say DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid are no longer an item as she was seen freezing her butt off in New York while he was pictured at numerous parties yapping away with young models in tow.

CircoLoco Crowd Hits the Art Basel party scene as thousands of international het setters gather in the Sun n Fun capital of the world to let loose and have a grand old time at this year’s Art Basel event

The party of the week was held at the mansion of billionaires Wayne and Cynthia Boich on Friday December 1st where Travis Scott and 50 Cent performed for the Kardashian clan as hundreds were turned away at the door.  Diddy’s Saturday night bash at his $35 million Star Island mansion was shut done by cops after shouting and pushing matches broke out on the massive line. During the week Cardi B, Offset, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Machine Gun Kelly, 21 Savage and The Chainsmokers wowed the enthusiastic crowds with energetic performances that sold-out quickly.

Maxim Party at SLS. This star-studded poolside soiree heated up Art Basel on Saturday, December 3rd at Miami’s Hyde Beach at SLS South Beach Hotel; which was transformed into a chic outdoor setting for VIP attendees to enjoy.

This year the crypto crowd thinned out as did Kim Kardashian whose look was all over the place as her go-to-designer Balenciaga was no longer an option. Some fashion houses including Dolce, Dior and Prada hosted all out bashes while Tiffany & Co.’s celebrity filled soirée on December 1st heralded its first ever Miami holiday pop-up and cafe located on two floors at 160 Northeast 40th Street in Miami’s Design District through January 31st. Miami was busting at the seams as clubs such as Eleven, Gala, CircoLoco, Story and Liv had to close their doors.  While some say Art Basel Miami is overhyped I would say the opposite; these first 20 years are only the beginning of what Miami’s burgeoning cultural scene has to offer.

VIP Area
Lamar Odom at Liv for Diddy performance. Diddy’s Saturday night bash at his $35 million Star Island mansion was shut done by cops after shouting and pushing matches broke out on the massive line.
Miami Beach Convention Center

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