Hello,
When you read these lines, most people from the art market and from the NFT art and collectible worlds will be on their way to Miami or maybe already there, getting their tan ready.
This is the year when the Florida-based annual art mecca also becomes the NFT center in a swirl of art + tech + NFT events all over Miami Beach, Miami and Wynwood from today (Monday) to Sunday.
Before going to Miami this week, you need to know a few things.
The 10 Commandments of Miami Art Week:
Art Basel is not pronounced Art Basil… Please stop doing that.
Everybody is referring to everything as “Art Basel Miami”, when this is just one fair (okay, the main one at the Convention Center on Miami Beach) + a million satellite fairs, art events and side parties called “Miami Art Week”.
Traditional planning is split in two: VIP collectors come to Miami on Monday or Tuesday for the main fair VIP preview happening on Tuesday, where most important sales are made by end of day (ask any gallery). VIP preview is split into two parts: the VVVVIP from 1-4pm and the regular VIP from 4-8pm. Then the fair opens to the public, and the party crowds land in Miami on Thursday and Friday to party for the weekend.
Nobody wants to pay anything and everybody wants to be a VIP in Miami. Don’t expect people to care for paid events and educational panels. Everybody wants free drinks and a party, but they will tell you that “they are here for the art”. This is similar for NFT events by the way. Owning some NFTs giving you access to parties, such as a Bored Ape or a Party Degenerate is the new Art Basel VIP card.
Something a lot of NFT people don’t know yet is that the Art Basel VIP card gives you entrance to almost every satellite fairs (just show the card, and people will bow to you).
Miami Art Week is already a shit show only with art people. This year we’ll have art + NFT people descending onto Miami, which will double the amount of shit shows happening.
Traffic is going to be impossible. Rental scooters are only insured on Miami Beach making it impossible to use them back and forth between Miami and Miami Beach, leaving all of us only with the UBER option. Get ready to get stuck in traffic on the bridges for hours. So plan accordingly: if you go to Wynwood in the morning, plan to not be back to Miami Beach for a while…
This is why you should RSVP to every possible event to cover your options depending on your location + traffic at any time of the day and night.
The golden rule is that you’ll make plan to see all your art and NFT BFFs, but will probably only be able to see a handful of people (for more details go back to commandment #6).
The weather forecasts temperatures between 66F and 79F with sunshine and clouds mixed and warmer temperatures for this weekend. Be sure to wax to show that you are ready for summer even in the winter, but don’t expect to have time to go to the beach.
For more insights, you absolutely need to follow Jerry Gogosian and Jerry Gogosian Stoveworks on Instagram for all Miami Art Week memes. They are almost as good as the crypto memes. See two examples below:
Some Events To Consider:
Mon, Nov 29 - Thu, Dec 2: DoinGud, Ziome, & Klima presents WASHED UP: A Multi-Day NFT Experience.
Tue, Nov 30: NFT BZL Conference is convening many NFT players and Miami’s Mayor at the FTX Arena downtown Miami.
Tue, Nov 30 to Wed, Dec 1: DCentral Miami conference on DeFi and NFTs is taking place close to the airport, so plan a 45 min cab ride from Miami Beach.
Tue, Nov 30 to Sat, Dec 4: Pay your respect to the main Art Basel Miami art fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Wed, Dec 1 to Thu, Dec 2: Nifty’s is partnering with Samsung Next to present NFT IRL, a series of talks at the Amara at Paraiso club. I am speaking on Dec 2 at 1:30pm.
Christie’s seems to be partnering with all important NFT platforms and companies, such as SuperRare, NFT Now and Blockparty for The Gateway. Christie’s also announced a sale in partnership with Opensea. And finally SuperRare will show a LED monolith installation at the Flagler Street Art Festival. I still have a hard time understanding how these three events are related, or are they?
Thu, Dec 2 - Sat, Dec 4: Tezos presents “Humans + Machines” exhibit and speaker series at Art Basel Miami Beach 2021. I’m speaking on Fri, Dec 3 [link]
Satellite art fairs worth going to:
SCOPE is showing many NFT related events (SuperRare artists, NFT related panels) and has one of the best locations, directly on the beach.
Ink Miami is only steps away from the Convention Center and hosts some of the best print galleries in the world, where each booth is a hotel room at the Suites of Dorchester.
Pinta, the established Latin American Art Show, is worth a visit in Downtown Miami (new location).
NADA is now located at the Ice Palace Film Studios and presents interesting galleries, performances and talks.
Tell me about your favorite fair. Always happy to discover new ones.
SuperBlue and Artechouse might still have some tickets for their immersive exhibitions around their private viewings to VIPs.
You are in the wrong place for any yacht and DJ parties only accessible to holders of specific NFT collectibles (such as Bored Ape-, Party Degenerate-, Whitney Houston-, Montcler-, Burberry-, Cheetos-, or Tequila-related NFTs). I am not cool enough… Invite me instead!
Prepare to be overwhelmed by the humidity, the number of events, and the location spread. But as well prepared as you might be, your plan will fall apart (quote me next week). Don’t worry though: you can literally enter any hotel lobby during the week and find a not-so-bad event. Not everything is as secret and private as they’d like us to believe.
So let me know on Telegram if you are in Miami this week! I can’t promise we’ll see each other, but at least we can try (please refer to commandment #8)!
#MiamiBound #Scared #SendHelp #SendSunscreen
Fanny