UPDATE: For a full wrap of Art Basel 2023, see our report here.
Each December, Art Basel brings the international art world to Miami, city of sunshine and white sand beaches, and has thousands of people stay inside all day looking at art. Actually, Art Basel Miami Beach is known for placing its art a little lower on the list of attractions, embracing Miami’s penchant for high-flying glitz and glamor by turning South Beach into a lower latitude Met Gala. James Blake performed at the Bass Museum last year, and Prada’s party tried to recreate the vibe of a Berlin rave. If any of this gives you pause, the best advice we can offer, in which we drew comparison between the art fair and a virus, is this: Once you’re there, you’ll only exhaust yourself if you try to fight it. The best you can do is find a comfortable bed, stay hydrated, and ride it out.
But after the VIP preview days, where celebrities like Megan Fox, Cardi B and the Kardashians chaotically cut loose, Art Basel Miami settles into what brought everyone there in the first place — a world-class contemporary art fair with over 33 exhibiting countries, and surprisingly affordable tickets. This year, Art Basel will fill the Miami Beach Convention Center with 277 exhibitors, slightly less than 2022, whose 283 made it the largest Art Basel ever. Like last year, the festival will focus on art from the Latin American and Caribbean diasporas, as well as highlighting exhibitors from Poland, the Philippines, Egypt and Iceland. Since the Convention Center’s renovations, this year will debut a new gallery layout, with the fair’s main sector dedicated to the work of surrealist painter Leonor Fini.
The festival will be structured like last year:
- Galleries: This is the main show where you’ll see curated offerings by masters of Modern and contemporary art as well as emerging artists.
- Meridians: The platform for large-scale projects curated by Magali Arriola.
- Nova: The part reserved for galleries repping works created in the past three years by one, two or three artists.
- Positions: The sector for young galleries showcasing ambitious new works.
- Survey: Galleries dedicated to historical relevance.
- Edition: Editioned works, prints and multiples.
- Kabinett: Curated selections by galleries in a separate section of their booth
The fair is open to the general public:
- Friday, December 8, 2023, 11am to 6pm
- Saturday, December 9, 2023, 11am to 6pm
- Sunday, December 10, 2023, 11am to 6pm
The Specs
- 76,000 people attended the Souyh Florida festival last year.
- A wide ranges of tickets are available: $58 for a Reduced Day Ticket. $75 for a Day Ticket. $95 for a First Access Ticket. $110 for a Arts Basel & Miami Design Ticket. $630 for a Premium Card. $2230 for Premium Plus Card.
- The Art Basel app provides a helpful guide to the weekend.
- Check out Fifty Grande’s guide to Miami here.
FAQs
What is Art Basel and when did it start?
The first Art Basel took place in 1970 in Basel, Switzerland. Today, the for-profit international art fair takes places in Basel, Miami Beach (since 2002), Hong Kong (since 2013) and Paris (2022).
What’s new at Art Basel this year?
There are 24 first-time exhibitors including those from Mexico, Poland and Egypt.
Are Art Basel and Frieze connected in some way?
Like Art Basel, Frieze is an art event (it’s also a magazine), but they are competitors. Frieze has events in America (New York, Los Angeles) and internationally (London).
Where can I see a schedule for Miami Art Week?
Here.
Are NADA, Design Miami, Untitled, Scope or Art With Me part of Art Basel?
No, those are separate satellite fairs and events that run concurrently.
When is Paris+ par Art Basel?
It’s set for October 20–22, 2023 in Paris, France.
What is the closest airport to Art Basel 2023?
Miami International Airport is a 30-minute driver across the city to the Miami Beach Convention Center in South Beach.
Is the festival ADA accessible?
Yes. Mobility aids are allowed and are available to obtain at the Coat & Bag Check.
What is the bag policy?
No bags of any size are allowed inside the galleries.
What type of artworks are shown at Art Basel?
The works range across painting, sculpture, photography, and digital, from first-time participants — like Paris’s Galerie Minsky, New York’s Ortuzar Projects, and San Francisco’s Weinstein Gallery — as well as established artists, exhibitors and returning galleries.
When is Art Basel Paris?
When is Art Basel Hong Kong?
It’s scheduled for March 23 – 25, 2024. The Hong Kong show, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, features galleries from Asia and beyond.
What is Art Basel Conversations?
Conversations is series of talks at the events. They bring features leaders from the international artworld – artists, gallerists, curators, collectors, critics, etc. – to discuss making, collecting and exhibiting art.
Who produces Art Basel?
Vincenzo de Bellis, who’s the director of fairs and exhibition platforms for Art Basel, leads the teams of all four Art Basel shows. He reports to Marc Spiegler, global director of Art Basel.
Who are some of the well-known art galleries that will be at the fair?
The four mega-galleries are: David Zwirner, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and Pace Gallery.
Other notes: See this link for a joint analysis of the current art market from Art Basel and UBS.