Art Basel Miami Beach was in full swing this month, with art fairs and activations happening all over the city. As evidenced by the galleries section of our weekly newsletter, there were so many exhibitions, events and parties that it was hard to keep up. We asked Veronica Speck, founder of VHS Ventures, to share her top art week happenings. Read on for her intel on the events and artists to know.
BEA PERNIA
Venezuelan Interior Designer, Bea Pernia collaborated with Mexico and Miami-based Grupo Arca to create the Atus Collection, which consisted of handmade marble and wood furniture works. Venini provided the handblown Murano glass chandelier. The warm light reflected on the walls and furniture enveloped her booth, and this calm ambiance and the soothing atmosphere was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of opening day at the fair. This was Bea’s first time presenting at Design Miami and certainly not the last!
Bea Pernia
RUINART
Ruinart has hosted their Botanical Garden champagne reception celebrating their limited edition annual artist collaboration for as long as I can remember. It is always one of my favorite events, and the perfect way to end a long day of visiting the Art Basel and Design Miami fairs and begin the evening’s festivities. I also always look forward to seeing my friend Timo Weiland behind the DJ booth, and the opportunity to briefly catch up (and request a song or two). The 2019 fête was hosted by French chef Daniel Boulud and Brazilian artist Vik Muniz. This year honored the Maison’s collaboration with British visual artist David Shrigley, and French brand ambassadors including Caroline de Maigret were in attendance. The bubbly was bountiful, and especially refreshing in the Miami heat!
LOEWE
Spanish luxury brand Loewe hosted an event Monday evening at their Design District store in celebration of the new multicolor mural installation by American conceptual artist Sol Lewitt. They also hosted a late-night party at Twist on South Beach with Creative Director Jonathan Anderson, singer Ricky Martin, gallerist Lucas Zwirner, and more on Wednesday evening, which was my last stop on the Basel circuit before flying out early Thursday morning!
TULESTE FACTORY
Sisters Celeste and Satu Greenberg originally began as fashion and accessory designers. Tuleste evolved into the fine art and collectible design gallery, Tuleste Factory, a few years ago. They have a gallery in Chelsea, New York and “Material Block” was their first exhibition to debut at Design Miami. Designers including Timbur, a digital fabrication company that uses advanced robotic and CNC manufacturing methods; handwoven rugs using Tibetan wool, silk and cashmere by Jt. Pfeiffer; and soft ambient sconces and lighting in sherbet colors by Facture Studio all came together in a unique and beautiful way. Tuleste also hosted an event later in the week at Gitano at Faena with artist Edward Granger and Scotch & Soda.
Scotch & Soda x Edward Granger
VOGUE100
My dear friend Lilah Ramzi was a host at the Vogue100 x Art Basel celebration with Mytheresa on a megayacht docked in the Miami harbor. The evening picked up where the Louis Vuitton spring 2022 men’s show left off and the soirée welcomed well-dressed models, artists, philanthropists, and musicians at golden hour.
COSTA BRAZIL
Francisco Costa, the former Creative Director of Womenswear for Calvin Klein, was inspired to create his skincare and wellness brand, Costa Brazil, after a life-changing trip to the Amazon. He discovered ancient artisanal ingredients, such as the nutrient-rich trinity of Kaya, Cacay, and Breu. Costa was joined for a seated candlelit dinner (candles by Costa Brazil of course) at Casa Tua with a beloved bevy of Brazilians including Lais Ribero, Isabela Grutman, Camila Coelho, and Laura Yawanawa, a tribe leader who was the first to host Costa during his exploratory trips to the Amazon.
GRUPO ARCA
Grupo Arca brought the best of Mexico to Miami during their event and exhibition kicking off Art Basel on Tuesday evening. Hauser & Wirth artist Stefan Brüggemann’s “Eroded Series” paintings lined the vibrant facade of the Superflex and Esrawe Studio-designed Wynwood Arca Gallery and Showroom. Inside, works of art made of Arca marble by artists from Mexico’s leading galleries were displayed, including OMR’s Gabriel Rico and Jorge Mendéz Blake and Masa Gallery’s Ewe Studio, Brian Thoreen, Mario García Torres, and Adeline de Monseignat. Gabriela Cámara of Mexico City’s Contramar was serving her famous tuna tostadas while Casa Dragones provided the specialty margaritas. No Art Basel fiesta is complete without some celeb sightings, and right on cue Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine, Behati Prinsloo, and Joe Jonas arrived with co-host Dave Grutman to take in the exhibition.
Jose Fernandez, Steffan Brüggemann & Gerardo Cortina
DIOR
I had the opportunity to see the Medallion Chair exhibition at Salone del Mobile in Milano this past September, but it was a completely different experience to see the chairs in a new setting. The exhibition and opening event on Monday were hosted at Superblue, which is normally home to works by Es Devlin and James Turrell. Outside, Chef Yann Nury treated guests to his signature caviar topped tater tots straight from his luxury airstream. Inside, artists and designers, such as Dimore Studio and Seungjin Yang displayed their modern interpretations of the Dior medallion chair.
LOUIS VUITTON
Days after the heartbreaking and surprising announcement that the 41-year-old LVMH artistic director, Virgil Abloh, had lost his battle with cancer, Louis Vuitton decided to pivot their planned runway show marking the opening of a new menswear store in Miami’s Design District, and instead pay tribute to the multidisciplinary creative force. A light show filled the Miami skyline with the iconic LV monogram changed to VA, and ending with “Virgil Was Here.” Frontrow fans included Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Joe Jonas, Ricky Martin, Venus Williams, Bella Hadid, and the Arnault family clad in black for the occasion.
