Art Basel Wynwood Murals

December 11, 2019

 

Art Basel Wynwood Murals

Each December, Miami hosts one of the largest and most prestigious art shows in the world, Art Basel. This massive, influential and important show has all the gliterrati of the art world descending on Miami for what has become a massive art extravaganza, known as Art Week Miami, it is actually a series of huge art exhibits, shows and more that have latched onto Art Basel’s significance and draw as throngs arrive to see the art and attend the parties.

As with most popular and cool events, it has grown so much that in many ways it has become a parody of itself and the target of all sorts of criticism and naysayers. To me, it is what it is and in spite of the over the top opulence and craziness as what qualifies as cutting edge art these days, I still really enjoy attending and being part of what is still a pretty exciting event. 

 

I have not attended Art Basel itself in a few years, and did not go this year either, but I did find myself in Miami for a single morning during Art Week which allowed me to check out what has always been and still is one of my favorite aspects of the event, the influx of some of the world’s greatest street and graffiti artists who paint impressive, massive and often beautiful and amazing art on the walls and buildings of the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.

 

Many of the greatest street artists in the world show up to create work, and even more who may not have been discovered or made names for themselves but strive to get noticed as thousands show up to check out the work. While the official and sort of hoity places like Wynwood Wall cater to the more famous elements and artists, it is the back and side streets that I find really interesting. Somehow many of the big names have become corporatized and less appealing. 

 

Having a pop-up gallery next to a mural that they just created for the occasion feels more like a giant advertisement than the more interesting, creative and often illegal endeavors that most street artists deal with. Not to take anything away from their success, I just prefer the most subversive elements of the culture. There is certainly no shortage of work representing all variety and manner of street artists in Wynwood and I find myself draw to the ever changing landscape every time I visit Miami.

 

It is especially fun to be there during Basel, as many of the artists are on hand busily creating their work in front of the masses that flood into Wynwood during the week. After eventually finding a decent parking spot, I walked throughout the area checking out the scene and enjoying the artwork.  These photos represent only a tiny fraction of what is there to be seen.

 

The absurdity of Art Basel was summed up this year by one of the art pieces, a real banana that was duck taped to the wall in the main hall. The piece caused such a sensation that armed guards were on hand to keep what was the most photographed, talked about and representative piece in the entire show. Three taped bananas were sold for $120,000 each before a fourth was snatched off the wall and eaten by a performance artist who had waited in the long line that had formed just to see the piece. He was hauled off by the police but was eventually let go with no charges being filed. 

 

That single piece pretty much sums up what Art Basel has become, for better or worse and of course it was only a matter of hours before some street artist taped bananas all over his nural. It is a crazy but fun world we live in.