Art Basel Miami Beach Heavy downpours attended Art Basel Miami Beach Fair last year but they have not dampened enthusiasm for this art jamboree, with numbers of exhibitors still rising. The 2016 contemporary art fair boasts 269 galleries from 29 countries with several Asian newcomers and that’s just the main event – as usual there will be myriad satellite fairs, performances, installations and pop-ups. Having morphed from something of a party animal into the premier art show of the Americas, the fair has expanded to include film, photography and large-scale sculpture. Virtual reality is one of the buzz topics this year. Alberto Baraya’s Herbarium of Artificial Plants at the Instituto de Visión is an amusing take on the idea, while Gao Ludi’s installation at White Space Beijing uses symbols from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to explore the in-between world. Radical biotech, another theme, is explored in a disquieting installation of new works using fur and synthetic flora. Attracting collectors, curators, museum directors and critics from across the globe, South Florida’s leading museums time their major exhibitions of the year to coincide with Art Basel. Visitors with enough stamina can also see some of the city’s renowned private collections.
From December 1st – 4th at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida, USA www.artbasel.com/miami-beach
