"And whether you want to be occupied by Art Basel or Occupy it, you can’t deny the event’s role in revitalizing Miami culture over the past 10 years. (Both the Miami Art Museum and MoCA North Miami have new buildings in the works, and the Wynwood district is chockablock with galleries, studios and street art.)"
Planning your event attack during the onslaught of Art Basel Miami Beach requires military-style logistical planning. Heading into the thick of things on South Beach can be exhausting, and though a trip through the actual fair in the Convention Center is required, it's also a way to feel poor and unwashed pretty quickly.
Luckily, there are always a few standout events during the week that are free, low cost, "edgy," "alternative," or whatever else that makes the aching feet worth it. Here, in no particular order, are 10 offbeat suggestions for your Basel circuit. Some veer towards the party side of things, but all include art (as opposed to music, which we covered in the Art Basel Music Guide).
It Ain't Fair at O.H.W.O.W.
These days, the gallery/art book publisher/retail curator group OHWOW seems to have largely shifted its operations to L.A., despite the fact the "WOW" in its name stems from its original location west of Wynwood. Still, the company has maintained a retail store locally in the Standard Hotel, as well as a location in the Design District for special one-off exhibitions. It's here that OHWOW returns to Basel this year for the fourth installation of its annual "It Ain't Fair" group show.
This year's installation is titled Materialism, and the focus is on the physical -- texture, shape, and so on -- rather than the conceptual and intellectual. Artists showing include former Miami natives like Daniel Arsham, Luis Gispert, and Bert Rodriguez, as well as other white-hot names like Scott Campbell and Dan Colen. No matter who's in the actual show, though, openings at OHWOW always draw an array of boldfacers from the art, fashion, and music worlds
Continue reading this guide at www.beachedmiami.com.
Other Wynwood area events that receive mention:
-- American Exuberance at the Rubell Family Collection
-- Miami’s Independent Thinkers at Awarehouse
-- Fountain Art Fair
-- The Co11ective at the Kohn Compound
