Art Basel Miami Beach: Your guide to Miami Art Week shows and parties

Miami Art Week kicks off tomorrow, and we’ve got questions. Will activists throw soup on paintings at Art Basel to draw attention to climate change, as they’ve been doing in Europe?

While we wait and see, we’ve compiled some highlights you won’t want to miss so you can plan your itinerary:

State of play: The effective hub of the universe for the week is the Miami Beach Convention Center, where, during its 20th year, Art Basel Miami Beach is hosting 283 galleries.

• Tuesday and Wednesday are limited to invitation-only viewings.
• The public can buy tickets for Thursday through Saturday.

But there’s plenty going on outside the convention center:

What else: Filmgate Interactive, running Dec. 2-5, will have film, virtual reality and extended reality experiences at various locations.

• Madonna is re-releasing her 1992 book “Sex,” and some of its photographs by Steven Meisel will be on view in a temporary beachfront gallery.
• Web3 and crypto diehards will keep trying to make NFTs happen at The Gateway: A Web3 Metropolis (taking over 12 buildings and two city blocks in downtown Miami) and BitBasel (six days of programming in the Design District).

The satellite art fairs

• Design Miami features furniture, lighting and more. Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach.
• Fridge Art Fair is a non-pretentious fair at Esquina de Abuela (EDA) in Allapattah. 2705 NW 22nd Ave., Miami.
• Art Miami highlights well-known contemporary artists. At its sister fair, Context Art Miami, a Banksy sculpture is up for grabs. One Herald Plaza, downtown Miami.
• Spectrum Miami showcases independent artists and young galleries, while Red Dot Miami includes 75 galleries from around the world at Mana Wynwood. 2217 NW 5th Ave., Miami.
• Nada Art Fair features new contemporary artists at Ice Palace Studios in Miami Beach. 1400 North Miami Ave., Miami.
• Pinta Miami highlights Latin American and Spanish creators at The Hangar in Coconut Grove. 3385 Pan American Drive, Miami.
• Untitled Art Fair: Admire emerging artists and historical figures in Miami Beach. 12th Street and Ocean Drive.
• Ink Art Fair showcases works on paper in Miami Beach’s Suites of Dorchester. 1850 Collins Ave..
• Scope Art Fair: Enjoy “new contemporary” works on South Beach’s Ocean Drive. Between 8th and 10th Avenues at 801 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
• Prizm Art Fair explores how African artmaking has influenced fine art worldwide. In the Design District (4220 N. Miami Ave.) and Little Haiti (212 NE 59th Terrace).
• Muse Art Fair honors Black, multicultural, and women artists in the Angler Hotel. 660 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.
• Satellite Art Show: What would the week be without some works in shipping containers? Indian Beach Park, 4601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.

The parties

You can only look at so many art pieces before you feel overwhelmed and your eyes go fuzzy. But parties? Never enough!

• LIV kicks off festivities with Alesso on Wednesday night, then Black Coffee on Thursday, the Chainsmokers on Friday, and Martin Garrix on Saturday.
• Factory Town has a loaded schedule of late-night events including a psychedelic-themed party called Delusionville on Thursday. More trendy music and dance events here and here.
• Chic hotel Esmé Miami Beach will host a celebration on The Roof, overlooking Española Way, on Friday night. You might get in if you RSVP via email in advance.
• Rappers Travis Scott and Skepta headline the Mirror Mirror festival Saturday, dedicated to late fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
• Also on Saturday night, Lezchic is hosting the Red A Fair with an adults-only circus, including a dunk tank, fortune teller and full bar in North Miami.

The food

Digest all that you’ve seen over delectable dishes at some of Miami’s trendiest spots. Just make sure to call ahead.

• Vietnamese restaurant Phuc Yea will be hosting an Art Week Launch Party on Thursday with live art performances and installations by Gian Franco Guerrieri, a Miami artist whose work is strongly influenced by Japanese calligraphy, pop culture and street art.
• An “art, music, culinary, and cocktail village” called Hive will span two city blocks in Wynwood this Thursday through Sunday.
• Major Food Group — the team behind New York staples Carbone and Sadelle’s — just opened an outpost of its Italian concept Contessa in the Design District. Expect fine meats, antipasti, signature pizzas, and an in-house gelato program.
• At Michelin-starred Le Jardinier, Veuve Clicquot will take over the garden terrace for a pop-up Garden Gastronomy series featuring locally sourced vegetables and champagne.
• Bagatelle Miami is hosting themed parties for Miami Art Week inside its new location at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Come for the seasonal menus and stay for the dance party.