Jaume Plensa
Miami Art Week is back in full force for another year, with 267 galleries and thousands of artists from all over the world descending upon the city’s shores. The fair that started it all is Art Basel Miami Beach, which opened its doors to the masses yesterday. In short, the fair is an explosion of Modern to Post-modern to a mixture of everything, from Brancusi and Warhol to contemporary painters like Mark Ryden and Kehinde Wiley.
Nick Cave
One could spend the entire week wandering the main fair’s halls alone. If you don’t know where to start, this year’s highlights include Ai Weiwei’s centrally located and larger than life installation of a giant tree, re-constructed from chopped trees in China, Frank Stella’s abstract paintings (now on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art) at the Paul Kasmin booth, and HF Vol. 20 artist Nick Cave’s shiny “Soundsuit” sculpture which is available for a pretty penny of $150,000, just to name a few. Take a look at more highlights from the main fair below and see it in person through December 6th if you’re in Miami.
Damien Hirst
John Currin
Peter Saul
Jaume Plensa
Jane Hammond
Piotr Uklanski
Matt Johnson
Yoshitomo Nara
Daniel Arsham
Takashi Murakami
Paola Pivi
Paola Pivi
Martin Eder
Martin Eder
Michael Rakowitz
Titus Kaphar
Kehinde Wiley
Katharina Grosse
Ai Weiwei
Shepard Fairey
Kenny Scharf
Constantin Brancusi
Mark Ryden
Alexander Ross
Francisco Esnayra When you’re faced with fairs measured in dozens, visiting every Miami Art Week offering isn’t feasible if you really want to enjoy it. Our suggestion: Check their social feeds or websites and pick a couple fairs that speak to you. Each one is going to offer some surprises. And even in repeat visits to events like Art Miami and Spectrum Miami, we saw gems that eluded us the first time around.
Cranio Since its debut 15 years ago, 
The number of events cashing in on Miami Art Week was extensive and impossible to list, but one that stood out was Sarah Potter and Hannah Stouffer's prismatic "IRIDESCENCE" exhibit. The show took place in the 3rd floor Gallery at the Shore Club South Beach, where a friendly mermaid in the lobby pointed you to a futuristic installation featuring international artists including Justin Lovato, Adam Friedman, Lala Abaddon, Francesco Locastro, Gustavo Torres (KidMoGraph), Ultramajic, Jose Di Gregorio, Jonny Alexander, and Hilary White.
There was no escaping the madness that was Miami Art Week. While collectors and art fans alike were inside taking in all of the fairs and staying dry, more street artists than ever before descended upon the Wynwood area to leave their mark. Heavy rains and wind posed a challenge for most, but that could not keep artists like D*Face, Twoone, Nychos, Tristan Eaton, Boxhead, 1010, Caratoes, and countless others from killing several large-scale walls and collaborations. Take a look at our highlights from Wynwood after the jump!