Art Basel Miami Beach is annual marathon of parties, traffic, crowded exhibition halls and posturing (not that we’re bitter or overwhelmed, or anything). It’s also a long weekend of art on display for free in public spaces, and my favorite part of the frenetic Basel hustle is watching passersby interact with the art around them.
They stumbled through the colorful warehouse-and-street-mural maze of Wynwood and lounged outside the honeycombed bar (“Guiro” by Los Carpinteros and ABSOLUT) temporarily set up in Collins Park. A concert and exhibit by singer/songwriter Daniel Johnston unexpectedly turned into a live painting demonstration. Thousands, probably, of social media avatars were created in front of half an installation by Gary Simmons (in whole, it read “I wish it could be morning all day long”.)
Familiar corners took on a new character, and isn’t that point of public art -- to see not just the installation, but to see an ordinary locale in a fresh way?
JKAY
