Art Basel Diaries
This year during Art Basel Miami Beach, Surface partnered with Lyft to document the experiences of three influential people from the art world. Here's a window into their chockablock week, filled with panels, parties, performances, and fairs.
PRODUCED BY SURFACE STUDIOS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LYFT December 11, 2018Donald Robertson
When we arrived in Miami the first thing I noticed was my signature lips all over the Faena Bazaar pop-up across from the Faena Hotel.
Creativity is everywhere in Miami Beach. This Christmas tree (left) at the Fontainebleau is a perfect example of accidental art. I had my pool float friends from @funboy make two giant inflatable lips (bottom right) for the anchor exhibit at my pop-up. My son joined me for my art installation.
Art Basel kicked off in Palm Beach at my friend Beth Dewoody’s private gallery, The Bunker (left). Always fun to visit my first cereal box portrait (top right) in the Food Room and to see Beth and Firooz, her photographer hubby. My 13-year-old son Teddy (bottom right) tagged a large open-air wall in the center of the Faena Bazaar courtyard! I love live Arting.
We went to a super groovy new pop-up gallery in Palm Beach’s Royal Poinciana Plaza called Gavlak. It coincided with the unveiling of my surfboard Christmas tree (right) in the center of the plaza. While we were there we snuck out to the beach to see a few exhibits in the open-air gallery space. Artist Luna Paiva‘s bronzed plastic chairs (left) were definitely a highlight for me.
Kimberly Drew
New York–based writer, art curator, and founder of the Tumblr blog Black Contemporary Art
Pulse Prize jury members before deliberation. (Pictured, from left: Vere Van Gool, associate director of IdeasCity at New Museum; Kimberley Drew; Zoe Lukov, curator at Faena Art; Katelijne De Backer, director of Pulse; Cristina Favretto, Head of Special Collections at University of Miami; Rosa Lowinger, independent curator; Jennifer Inacio, curator at Perez Art Museum Miami; Leilani Lynch, curator at Bass Museum of Art.)
A corner of Theaster Gates’s installation (left) at Prada Mode Miami. Basel-goers taking a break from the fair (right).
Ming Smith, Tyler Mitchell, Deana Lawson, and Hank Willis Thomas in conversation for No Commission.
Late night during Virgil Abloh’s set at the Beats party.
With Gabby Richardson and Mars of the Art Hoe Collective (left). A delicious whole fish prepared by Angela Dimayuga for the Chromat and Fem Power dinner (top right). Jamilah Sabur, Becca McCharen-Tran, founder of Chromat, and Jillian Mayer before a panel I moderated for The Wing about women in art.
Lil Buck
Performance artist
Becoming a part of the art! Spur of the moment performance (top right) at Haute Living’s event for DJ Khaled with the amazing Ezinma.
Watching my girlfriend, Ai Shimatsu, kill her performance with Pharrell Williams at 1 Hotel Miami. #ArtBasel2018