“Take Your Broken Heart and Turn it Into Art”
2020 was the year without an in person Art Basel for Miami Beach. A full year without crowds, galleries, or convention centers. A year without art, joy, or celebration is one too many especially for a city that thrives off of arts and culture. When word got out that an in person Art Basel would be taking place in 2021 the internet immediately buzzed. What would the safety protocols be? Would all the galleries be filled with digital screens for NFT art? How many celebrities would still flock down for their annual art pilgrimage? All these questions answered and more when we stepped onto the holy grounds of the iconic Miami Beach Convention Center last weekend.
Art Basel in Miami Beach 2021 – Image Courtesy Art Basel
Safety First:
2021 is the year Art Basel triumphantly returned to Miami, FL and boy, did it make up for lost time! Crowds of masked patrons filling up the queue anxiously waiting to get checked in by security and explore the galleries. Before entering the venue all guests were required to show a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination in order to gain admittance. Visitors could attend Art Basel between December 2nd – 4th this year, a day shorter than in previous years for the general public.
Peter Blum Gallery / Nicholas Galanin © Art Basel
Beyond the Art:
Art Basel is a wonderful affair to overload all of your senses with the trends of today’s contemporary art world. What’s even more fun than poking around to the different galleries is dressing for the occasion. It’s been known that Art Basel attendees pull out their best dressed outfits to match the vibe of the funky, stylish, and sometimes bizarre art they’re about to see. It’s a wonderful spectacle everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime!
Kendra Jayne Patrick / Qualeasha Wood © Art Basel
Diverse Voices on Display:
A most welcoming change we’ve seen at Art Basel this year is the amount of diverse artists, curators, and galleries taking center stage in 2021. There was a record number of BIPOC owned galleries making waves and incredible sales at the Convention Center. Artists like Tanzanian born Sungi Mlengeya from the Afriart Gallery and Kendra Jayne Patrick were just a couple of noteworthy booths gaining admiration from attendees and judges.
Helena Anrather / Farah Al Qasimi © Art Basel
NFTs:
While most people and their mothers are still trying to wrap their heads around what an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) actually is, it’s safe to say they haven’t taken over the art world…yet. NFTs and all things crypto are still part of an illusive subculture. Out of the main galleries, few had NFT art on public display.
Art Basel 2021 safely brought back the arts and Miami energy that was so missed. A year without art has showed us how important to our society it really is because it’s true what they say, “the earth without ART is just eh!”
