Photo by MOS Architects 2012
The 11th annual Art Basel Miami Beach kicked off on Wednesday with a star-studded schedule. Our picks for opening night’s top 10 places to see and be seen:
10) Billed as the “first upscale hostel in the U.S.,” the owners of New York’s NoMad Hotel launched the Roman & Williams–designed Freehand Miami Hostel with a party for Timo Weiland and music by Weiland and Alan Eckstein.
9) Designer Diane von Furstenberg discussed art, creativity and the market with W magazine editor Stefano Tonchi at Design Miami.
8) Guests watched live music at the Absolut Art Bureau’s art bar installation by Los Carpinteros. The open-air bar, Güiro, will serve Absolut cocktails each night until midnight.
7) Pop-Up Piano Miami launched on Wednesday with a fundraising concert at the Perry South Beach Hotel with hors d’oeuvres by the One Group and Grey Goose cocktails. The night continued with DJ Yissel Cabrera and eight pop-up pianos on display before being scattered across the city.
6) Interview Magazine and Valentino took over the rooftop of the Webster Miami boutique to showcase Valentino’s new Pop Art–inspired Pop Pois capsule collection.
5) To celebrate the long-awaited Drive-In in far West Texas, Ballroom Marfa hosted cocktails at Cabanas in the SLS Hotel South Beach.
4) Daphne Guinness dined with Will Smith, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen at the Roger Dubuis Velvet event at Villa Azur Restaurant & Lounge, hosted by Haute Living magazine and Dom Pérignon.
3) NetJets, the private aviation company, held its annual Collectors Cocktail party (in collaboration with online art site Artspace) at the Bath House, highlighting works by six international artists selected by curator Micaela Giovannotti.
2) From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., VIPs got a first look at Art Basel Miami Beach at the convention center. The vernissage started at 6 p.m., where collectors mingled over cocktails near the main fair’s opening. Inside the collectors’ lounge, Ruinart Champagne’s mirrored installation, in collaboration with neo-Baroque designer Hervé Van der Straeten’s “Miroir” collection, was on display.
1) The Chanel-sponsored Art.sy party at Soho Beach House was one of the most elusive tickets in town. Last year the entire art world showed up, along with Hollywood stars like Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Val Kilmer. And if history is any indication, those who were able to finagle their way onto the guest list made sure to stay for dinner. Last year’s crowd of 600 was treated to petite filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, chorizo and shrimp, and stations piled high with paella, meatballs, and quinoa with squash blossoms.
