Good touch
A cardinal rule at art fairs and museums: don’t touch the art! Worry no more, though, about sticking to this rule at Art Basel Miami Beach, as the art collective MSCHF definitely wants fairgoers to pet their sculpture on Perrotin’s stand, fittingly called Touch Me Sculpture One More Time (2024). Every time the Rodin-like bronze piece is patted, a number counter at the base goes up (at the time of writing, it was on 99,158). A gallery spokesperson says that the psychology behind the piece is interesting. “Some people get really nervous, others love putting their hands on it. The counter goes to 1 million and stays there when it is finished,” she says. Talk about (truly) interactive art.
The dapper group work at the Thom Browne store in Miami
Photo: Gareth harris
Suited to party
The crème de la crème of Miami’s art world descended on the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami on Tuesday for its VIP opening night, heralding the start of art week festivities. Luminaries such as ICA director Alex Gartenfeld and the German artist Andreas Schulze were spotted; guests lapped up the disco beats and drank (free) vodka shots at the bar. But one group really stood out, namely the Thom Browne club, devotees of the US designer who are always kitted out in the same clothing designed by the man himself. A member revealed its key rules: “Only button up the blazer in the middle. And you can wear navy blazers on the weekend.”
“It’s a good work to get married under,” the artist Breakfast says of his piece
Photo: © Just Chill Productions, Courtesy of 1 Hotel South Beach
Kinetic Breakfast feast
Guests at the 1 Hotel South Beach Miami are no doubt gobsmacked by a series of high-tech sculptures gracing the entrance and walls of the deluxe abode. These interactive works are courtesy of the New York-based artist Breakfast (aka Andrew Zolty), whose work “centres on transforming real-time data from the natural world into digitally controlled kinetic artworks that tell stories”, he says. “The works have been resonating a lot in Miami, as they are on the front line of climate change [here] with intense storms, hurricanes and rising sea levels.” A piece called Consumption (2024) at the rear of the hotel is making people swoon as they move between the marble and gold-tinted twisting arms, which translate real-time data relating to water consumption in Miami into undulating patterns.
Nada’s art-tarot reading left our reporter with plenty to ponder on
Photo: Gareth harris
Art in the cards
Nada has the perfect antidote to this week’s frenzy: a tarot reading. In the fair’s garden, the artist Julie Schenkelberg has set up a special “grotto”—a sculptural installation called Amulet—which is adorned with works on paper and decorative objects. For $35, the Cleveland-born artist, who is represented by Asya Geisberg Gallery, will guide collectors and curators through a reading using cards emblazoned with her own designs. The Art Newspaper’s correspondent decided to take the tarot plunge and was taken aback by the revelations that poured forth, including his need to “replenish” his energy more often. “This foray into the more spiritual side of life was a tonic after traipsing around some high-end art events in the heat,” said our intrepid reporter.
Williams’s furniture debut at Design Miami
Photo courtesy of Moooi
Sitting for the Lonely
The UK pop star Robbie Williams is not just a singing sensation. He’s now added furniture designer to his burgeoning resumé, unveiling a plush new chair for the Dutch luxury furniture brand Moooi at Design Miami. “The Introvert Chair’s softly sculpted form and generously padded wooden frame with a swivel mechanism feels like being wrapped in a hug,” says a representative for the company, describing the chair fabric as a blended composition of virgin wool, alpaca and cotton. “Its soft fabric and gentle curves create a sanctuary that offers complete comfort and calm, reminding me of the power that art and design have… [my chair] is more than just a place to lounge, it’s a whole mood,” says Williams, who also makes visual art (his show at Moco Museum London earlier this year received very, ahem, mixed reviews). The Take That star’s chair is available at $4,395 (Introvert pillows are sold separately).
Hark, a papillon!
Photo: Gareth Harris
Dog portrait afternoon
Creativity was off the leash Tuesday when the artist Danny O’Connor sketched some of Miami Beach’s favourite pets during a special “Paws and Palettes” event. Guests at Hotel Continental were invited to bring photos of their beloved pooches and kitties for O’Connor to re-paw-duce and sketch on special Hotel Continental stationery. The artist is known for his large-scale, cartoon-inspired canvases that “mix nostalgia, pop culture and sun-soaked escapism”, says a statement, highlighting the charm of O’Connor’s creature creations. “It was a non-stop day of creating portraits,” said the artist, who enjoyed depicting a host of Florida’s furry friends. Woof!
Art for the jet set
The French artist Louis-Nicolas Darbon is making a splash this week in Miami with his swanky luggage designs. The London-based creative professional, who says he is known for his fashion-inspired artworks, describes how he was invited to collaborate with the team at travel bag company Tumi, creating a Pop Art-inspired collection to mark the reopening of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Key Biscayne. “I’ve always been drawn to the 19 Degree aluminium, particularly the distinctive, almost irregular, feel that you get from how the metal has been shaped,” Darbon said. “To counter this texture I applied geometric lines, creating frames of colour that provide a backdrop for my graffiti-esque text that wraps around each piece.” Happy holidays.
Forever Marilyn
Get ready for a smorgasbord of Marilyn Monroe tributes (and merchandise) next year when movie fans the world over celebrate the centennial of the screen goddess’s birth. The Marilyn love-in kicks off this week with a selection of new works at Art Miami by the artist Russell Young, whose Monroe works include 28 Marilyn Crying paintings, a series of diamond-dusted screen prints available from Taglialatella Galleries that are dazzling fair visitors. Crucially the Marilyn paintings were created in collaboration with the Marilyn Monroe Estate, which gave Young full access to its archives. “I was born and spent my early years in northern England, which were grey miserable and violent. My father used to take me to the movies, Marilyn, Marlon Brando and Brigitte Bardot, I fell in love with them all,” Young says.
