Art Basel Part 3

By Shayna Batya Dec 23, 2013

(I know, you’re probably thinking.. more Art Basel posts?!) But yes. Although the party ended a couple of weeks ago, i’ve been digging through hundreds of images thinking to myself, how did it ever turn into this? When I say the party is over, I mean the clusterfuck of traffic, the crazies, the apparent art aficionados and the heaps of leftovers still lingering around Miami that tried out Art Basel for the first time.

If you are just learning of Art Basel, the official fair takes place in Basel, Switzerland, with sister events in both Hong Kong and Miami, representing the best galleries in the world. However, i’m pretttyyyy sure Switzerland and Hong Kong’s Basel experiences are nothing like Miami’s. What happens when you mix the biggest party town in the country with the biggest art fair in the world? Fartsy Debauchery. Less desire for art, more need for party. That’s pretty much what it has turned into, but that’s Miami for ya! There are two things we are good at; staying out till the sun comes up and a guaranteed good time.

Being a Miami native, this was the 7th Art Basel I have attended. It started out as me just enjoying art and checking out specific galleries that were in town being represented at the fairs. Over the last few years, my mission during Art Basel has transitioned from leisurely art viewing to seeing as much as I possibly can and saying hello to everyone I can, as quickly as possible. Moving at 1 million miles a minute, 3 outfit changes a day and pretty much no sleep for an entire week, this is what Art Basel 2013 looked like for me.