designboom’s guide to miami art week 2023: what not to miss in and out of the fairs

your definitive guide to miami art week 2023

Art and design lovers everywhere are journeying to Miami where, from December 4 to 10, Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami/ will open their doors to collectors, curators and enthusiasts alike. The two events — together with a packed program of public art, offsite installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks and creative programming — form Miami Art Week 2023, which takes over the coastal city in full Floridian fashion. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest must-see exhibitions and events during Miami Art Week, and discover designboom’s definitive guide of recommendations.

the fairs

Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel Miami Beach is among the world’s premier art shows, highlighting the work of leading galleries from five continents. The show will feature a range of modern and contemporary art, from paintings and sculptures to photography and film. This 21st edition of the annual fair will include a number of new events. One of the most anticipated highlights is the Meridians sector, which will feature large-scale projects by international artists. Another new addition is the Kabinett sector, which will showcase curated exhibitions of works by individual artists or groups of artists. The sector will provide a more focused viewing experience, allowing visitors to delve deeper into the work of the artists on display. Art Basel Miami Beach will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, from December 8th — 10th, 2023.

image via Art Basel | header image © Kian Lem

Design Miami/

Design Miami/ 2023 is a leading global forum for design, bringing together the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators, and critics from around the world. The fair showcases the best in collectible design, from 20th and 21st century masters to cutting-edge emerging designers. A diverse range of galleries and designers from over thirty countries will be on view, presenting a wide variety of collectible design objects, including furniture, lighting, and jewelry. The curatorial theme of Design Miami/ 2023 is ‘Design and the Environment.’ The fair will explore the ways in which designers are responding to the challenges and opportunities of the climate crisis, and how design can help us to create a more sustainable future. In addition to the main exhibition, Design Miami/ 2023 will feature a number of curated shows and special events. Design Miami/ will be held at Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach, from December 6th — 10th, 2023.

image via Design Miami/

Untitled Art

Untitled Art, a contemporary art fair held on the sands of Miami Beach, will return for its 2023 edition. The fair will feature a curated selection of emerging and established artists from around the world, presenting a diverse range of media and styles. Situated within a custom-built, air-conditioned structure on the beach, Untitled Art will offer an immersive experience for art enthusiasts and collectors alike. Alongside carefully curated presentations of exceptional artwork, visitors can engage with a lively lineup of live events, artist performances, and thought-provoking panel discussions. The fair is a significant destination for those seeking to explore the latest trends and innovations in the contemporary art world. Untitled Art will be held on Miami Beach at 12th Street and Ocean Drive from December 6th — December 10th, 2023.

image via Untitled Art

NADA

New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) Miami 2023 will showcase a diverse selection of 140 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations spanning over 50 cities around the globe including San Juan, Paris, Chicago, Memphis, Brussels, and Beijing. This year’s fair includes over 85 NADA members and 34 first-time exhibitors. The fair will also feature the return of Curated Spotlight, a special section highlighting a selection of galleries organized by a renowned curator and presented in partnership with TD Bank. NADA Miami 2023 will be held at Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Avenue, from December 5th — 9th, 2023.

SCOPE Art Show Miami Beach

Celebrating its 22nd edition, SCOPE Miami Beach returns to its bespoke pavilion. This year, SCOPE hosts over 110 carefully selected contemporary exhibitors, showcasing The New Contemporary—a genre that makes vital contributions to both global politics and local community engagement. Focused on innovation and discovery in contemporary and emerging art, SCOPE brings together more than 110 participants from 23 countries, with nearly 50% of exhibitors making their debut, reinforcing SCOPE’s commitment as a premier destination for artistic exploration and revelation. SCOPE Art Show Miami Beach 2023 will be held at Ocean Drive and 8th Street on South Beach, from December 5th — 10th, 2023. 

image courtesy of SCOPE Art Show

what not to miss

BMW x Alex Israel

BMW returns as the official partner of Art Basel Miami Beach, this year teaming up with Los Angeles-based artist Alex Israel with an installation titled REMEMBR. The interactive, AI-powered video installation takes inspiration from the 100% electric BMW i5, and explores the intersection of art and technology to offer ‘a journey through time and memory.’ Israel worked closely with BMW to develop AI technology that will collect, filter, compose and choreograph camera content from visitors’ phones — all with the aim to capture the essence of modern life. Spanning seven custom-designed screens, the immersive installation continues BMW’s commitment to innovation, cutting-edge technology, and the arts. REMEMBR by BMW and Alex Israel will be on view alongside the fully electric BMW i5 at the BMW Lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach Collectors Lounge from December 8th — December 10th.

Alex Israel, image courtesy BMW

Benches by Samuel Ross

Beginning in November 2023, Miami Deign District will introduce a permanent installation by multifaceted British designer Samuel Ross. It consists of three distinct bench designs which will be installed across public areas and pedestrian walkways. The unique pieces will reflect the artist and designer’s fascination with concepts related to functionality in public space. The benches are crafted from CNC Steel and powder coating. With their anamorphic forms, each design was informed by hand sketches in charcoal, Indian ink and pencil. These primitive concepts were then translated into a three-dimensional form.

Samuel Ross, benches for the Miami Design District

Lexus x Marjan van Aubel

Lexus partners with Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel to create a sun-powered installation for Miami Art & Design Week 2023. The show’s title, ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds,’ references the time it takes light from the sun to reach the earth. Inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept car, the installation showcases the potential of carbon-neutral energy harnessing through the use of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. OPV sheets on the installation cast colorful shadows throughout the day, while sensors within the sculpture make it an engaging, interactive experience. The collaboration marks the artist’s first public endeavor in Miami and continues Lexus’s tradition of supporting Miami Art & Design Week in collaboration with ICA Miami. Lexus and Marjan van Aubel will exhibit ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ within the sculpture garden at Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Miami, 61 NE 41st St.

Marjan van Aubel, image courtesy Lexus

Faena x Sebastian Errazuriz

Faena Art unveils its centerpiece during Miami Art Week, a full-scale maze installation by artist Sebastian Errazuriz constructed on the sands of Faena Beach. Titled ‘MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self,’ this intricate labyrinth, crafted with the aid of AI tools like Midjourney and DALL-E 2, invites visitors to explore its pathways, inevitably drawing them toward a central reflective monolith — a beacon of introspection and communal connection. This enigmatic structure serves as both an art piece and as a hub for performances and community gatherings throughout Miami Art Week. Through this immersive experience, the artist invites us to question the impact of AI on our world, prompting us to reaffirm the vital importance of face-to-face human interactions. ‘MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self’ by Sebastian Errazuriz will be open from December 5th — 10th on the sands of Faena Beach.

rendering of ‘MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self’ | image courtesy the artist and Faena Art

‘Miami Take Over’ by Andrés Reisinger

This year, in the Miami Design District, Argentinian artist Andrés Reisinger will be installing his first physical work. Like his recent digital artworks, which depict fluffy, flossy pink drapes cloaking building facades, this physical work will introduce a billowing pink curtain to the Miami streetscrape. The artist explains: ‘I conceived the installation to transcend mere visuality and become a confrontation, a mirror reflecting the viewer’s own mutable internal landscapes. I delved myself into an ongoing exploration of the fluctuating boundaries between consciousness and the unconscious, a dialogue that finds echoes in art. The installation emerges as a synthesis of practices, a conduit for transformative experiences.’ Miami Take Over by Andrés Reisinger will be on view from December 4th — 10th at 178 NE 39th St. in the Miami Design District.

JR at Superblue Miami

A monumental new mural by French artist JR will be unveiled at Superblue Miami during Miami Art Week. Across Superblue’s exterior facade, ‘The Chronicles of Miami’ features 1,048 portraits of the residents and visitors that define Miami, continuing the artist’s acclaimed participatory mural series, Chronicles. Also debuting during Miami Art Week is JR’s most significant immersive work to date, ‘The Machine Behind the Art: Inside JR’s Printing Press,’ created for Superblue, and complementing on-going participatory installations by Es Devlin, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, teamLab, and James Turrell also on view inside the experiential art center. The Chronicles of Miami and The Machine Behind the Art by JR will be on long term view through at least 2024.

JR, The Chronicles of Miami | image courtesy Superblue

Gaetano Pesce: Again in Miami

‘Again in Miami With Multidisciplinary Works’ is a time-machine blending Gaetano Pesce‘s past and present intuitions and ideas, which also spotlights his brand-new works — the majority of them never shown before. The exhibit is an ensemble of twenty-eight works where the legendary designer’s kaleidoscope of unpredictability, sensuality and irony is displayed in full force and more gleaming than ever. Gaetano Pesce‘s ‘Again in Miami With Multidisciplinary Works’ is on view from December 4th — 10th in the Miami Design District, 30-40 NE 40th St.

Gaetano Pesce, exhibition poster and Ear Shelf

Utopia by Studio Bohinc

This year, Bohinc Studio-founder Lara Bohinc has been awarded the 2023 Design Commission by the Design Miami/ Curatorial Lab and the Miami Design District. The commissioned installation ‘Utopia’ will make its debut in time for Miami Art Week. Standing tall with rounded, intersecting volumes — the designer’s signature — the sculptural work will welcome visitors at the entrance of Design Miami/ and will continue on into the new year.

Studio Bohinc in the Miami Design District | image © Kris Tamburello

Dan Lam at Wynwood Walls

Known for her oozing and multicolored artworks, Dan Lam will be unveiling a massive sculpture at Wynwood Walls, one of the best venues in Miami to see leading street artists. Titled ‘A Subtle Alchemy,’ the sculpture stands over 8.5 feet tall to mark one of Dan’s largest pieces to date. It is crafted from metal, styrofoam, and epoxy, and is the first of the artist’s pieces to be painted with automotive paint and finished with a chameleon pigment — a finish which lends the dripping forms their shifting, iridescent hues. The work will be a part of the group show ‘The Power of Purpose,’ open from November 24th — December 10th, 2023 at Wynwood Walls, 2516 NW 2nd Ave, Miami.

HOOPS by CJ Hendry

Cj Hendry will present HOOPS Tree, a deep ocean blue basketball tree that will rise twenty feet and will be equipped with thirty-four hoops like a chandelier. Set against the backdrop of the vibrant Wynwood arts district and the Biscayne Bay, HOOPS Tree at once evokes the tropical, easygoing culture of the coastal city known for its nightlife and athletic scene. The installation is Cj’s latest foray into large scale exhibitions with explorations in engineering and creativity delivered with a familiar flair of light-heartedness and fun that has become synonymous with the artist’s work. HOOPS Tree will be open to the public on December 6th at Margaret Pace Park, 1745 N Bayshore Dr., Miami.

CJ Hendry, HOOPS

Capital One x Alex Israel

Alex Israel, portrait courtesy Capital One

Samuel Ross x Kohler

Kohler makes a comeback at Design Miami/ to kick off a multi-year collaboration with the innovative force SR_A, led by Dr. Samuel Ross. Together, they will unveil an immersive installation called Terminal 01, redefining our relationship with water. Simultaneously, they will introduce the exclusive Formation 01 faucet. Beyond the tangible exhibit, Kohler has crafted an Augmented Reality experience accessible through the Kohler x SR_A website, providing a unique opportunity to interact with the design remotely.

Future Reflections by Shiseido

During Miami Art Week 2023, Japanese skincare trailblazer Shiseido introduces Future Reflections, its inaugural generative art collection. Collaborating with artists Hannah Yan, Jen Stark, Kaoru Tanaka, and Robert Hodgin, the project draws inspiration from Shiseido’s fusion of art, science, and key elements in the Future Solution LX line. The collection, emphasizing refinement and modernity, showcases the brand’s commitment to beauty industry innovation.

Utilizing the cutting-edge Art Blocks Engine, Future Reflections seamlessly merges generative technology with artistic prowess. Through algorithmically guided processes, the artists produce 1,872 distinct generative artworks, symbolizing the brand’s founding year. Future Reflections debuts during Miami Art Week at NFT Now’s The Gateway Event from December 6 to December 8, 2023. 

artwork by Jenn Stark | image courtesy of Shiseido

Faena x Kelly Breez

Step into a time capsule of memories with Miami-based artist Kelly Breez’s immersive exhibition, ‘Dirt’s Dive,’ presented by Faena Art at the Faena Art Project Room, its permanent space in Miami Beach. Breez transports visitors to the nostalgic world of old South Florida dive bars, crafting an alternate universe filled with life-sized cut-out figures, sculptures, and drawings that capture the essence of this vanishing era. Celebrate the spirit of dying dive bars, described by Breez as ‘one of the most archaic forms of communal spaces… symbolizing a gathering place for exchanging experiences and tales.’ On Wednesday, December 6th, Faena Art will host an event celebrating the installation’s opening at the Faena Project Room on Miami Beach.

Kelly Breez in her studio | image by Vanessa Diaz, courtesy the artist and Faena Art

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) will be open with special hours throughout the week for visitors to attend special programs and view the museum’s current exhibitions. Miami Art Week 2023 programming highlights include: a special preview for Gary Simmons: Public Enemy on Tuesday, December 5 from 9am–2pm, followed by a Scholl Lecture Series, with the artist in conversation with curators Jadine Collingwood, René Morales, and Franklin Sirmans; PAMM Presents, the museum’s signature Art Week celebration, which will take place on Thursday, December 7 from 8–11pm, featuring headliner George Clinton; and a screening of ¡Fenomenal! Rompeforma 1989–1996, followed by a conversation with co-directors, pioneer choreographers, and performance artists Merián Soto and Viveca Vázquez, and a Live Performance by visual artist, choreographer and performer Awilda Sterling Duprey on Saturday, December 9 from 1–3pm. Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is located at 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami.

Gary Simmons, Everforward…, 1993 | image courtesy PAMM

House of Tilly: World’s First AI Designer

Making her US debut, the world’s first AI designer Tilly AI will showcase five ‘future living’ design prototypes crafted in collaboration with human designers and artisans. Responding to emotional intelligence and using voice recognition, Tilly will share insights about her designs and also serve as The Standard Spa Miami Beach’s concierge for the week. The exhibition will be on view from December 5th — 10th at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach.

Tilly AI, Gus by x 3 with PLP Architects and Magical Mushroom Company, image © Peer Lindgreen for Studio Snoop

Gustaf Westman x The Standard Spa, Miami Beach

For Art Basel Miami Beach 2023, The Standard has collaborated with renowned Swedish designer Gustaf Westman for a pop-up at Cafe Standard, located at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach. Starting on December 4th, Westman will present some of his notable works, including the beloved ‘Curvy Mirror,’ in the public space. The designer’s distinctive approach to color, form, and materials will give the Scandinavian-inspired setting a playful atmosphere for both locals and visitors during Art Week. This initiative marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership between The Standard and Gustaf Westman, with plans for further collaboration in 2024. The pop-up installation will remain on display until January 4, 2024 at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach at 40 Island Ave.

visualization © Gustaf Westman

Art in Earth at Eden Roc Miami Beach

To amplify the importance of ocean conservation, an augmented reality installation ‘The Art in Earth’ will transform Eden Roc Miami Beach into an immersive and ever-changing canvas. The display teleport visitors to oceans around the world, once still satellite images are activated with Art House technology. Prints of these aerial ocean scenes will be available at the event, with proceeds benefiting the PangeaSeed Foundation, a Hawaii-based, internationally engaged nonprofit organization acting to further ocean conservation. The lobby installation will be open to the public from December 6th — 10th at Eden Roc Miami Beach.

Parley for the Oceans x Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel and Parley for the Oceans are announcing their collaboration at Art Basel Miami Beach this year, calling for support to address the devastating impacts of climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss on marine ecosystems and coastal communities. This year will mark the beginning of a long-term partnership between the non-profit and the fair, who together aim to inspire long-term positive change for our ecosystem and the protection of the oceans. Together, they will launch Art for the Oceans, a fundraising initiative that will see Parley’s Global Cleanup Network collect 1 lb of plastic for every $1 donated through the program. 

Parley’s space at the fair will display data regarding the oceans’ beauty and fragility and will introduce its many artist collaborations with artists including Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer, Katharina Grosse, Pipilotti Rist, and Doug Aitken. Parley will also present a series of works in Collins Park by artist Julian Schnabel titled ‘Ocean.Climate.Life.’

Julian Schnabel, Ocean.Climate.Life | image courtesy Parley for the Oceans

Gimme Shelter at Historic Hampton House

The Historic Hampton House Museum of Culture & Art, the history and cultural art center at Miami’s legendary Green Book Hotel, will launch its visual arts program with Gimme Shelter, an exhibition of works by contemporary artists that draw upon the ethos of the iconic site as a safe space and place of congregation during times of segregation. Highlighted is the idea of shelter and safety as integral to cultural production and collective creation. Selected works reflect on America’s history and the importance of building and celebrating sites of refuge, renewal, and reflection for Black Americans, people of color, and migrants today. The exhibition will be on view to the public December 5th, 2023 until January 22nd 2024 at the Historic Hampton House.

RIMOWA x Typoe

RIMOWA is collaborating with local Miami artist Typoe, whose custom chandelier-inspired art piece now graces the permanently renovated Miami Design District store. The artwork, featuring a dynamic composition of colorful shapes and RIMOWA’s iconic aluminum grooves, represents the ongoing construction of our surroundings with a touch of childlike wonder. To coincide with Miami Art Basel 2023, RIMOWA and Typoe will reveal a complementary window display during the week of December 4th, incorporating oversized shapes and the brand’s aluminum suitcases. In celebration, the artist has created a limited-edition ‘Typoe for RIMOWA’ Miami sticker pack, available for free at the RIMOWA Design District Store at 115 NE 40th St. for guests to personalize their suitcases.

RIFLESSI at TRAME

Digital gallery and collaboration studio TRAME debuts RIFLESSI, an exhibition which displays the works of two artists — ‘Optimism’ by Jeff Davis and ‘Portraits’ by Martin Grasser. Both artists are known for their algorithmic studies of color, and will unveil selected pieces from their upcoming collections in collaboration with TRAME. With ‘Optimism,’ Jeff Davis draws inspiration from the principles of Frank Lloyd Wright. He blends his passion for color and formal art with the timeless medium of stained glass. Davis, with over a decade of experience in algorithmic generative art — collaborated with TRAME, Atelier Loire, and Neal Feay to bring this work to life. With ‘Portraits,’ Martin Grasser converges his experience with generative algorithms to create mirrors. These mirrors test the fluidity and interpretative nature of language and typography. Grasser’s journey into the fine-art world is fueled by a lifelong connection with typography. Collaborating with TRAME, he leverages the quality of Venetian mirrored glass to create a visual language, where words and phrases become new abstract forms. RIFLESSI will be on view at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens during Miami Art Week 2023.

image courtesy TRAME

American Express x Playlab Inc.

Art and nostalgia collide at PLAY by American Express Platinum, a unique interactive gallery returning to Miami during Art Week this year. In partnership with PlayLab, Inc. and Mattel Creations, the gallery will showcase reimagined iconic toys as limited edition collectibles alongside art pieces from artists like Salehe Bembury, Eny Lee Parker, Surin Kim, Serban Ionescu, and Kumkum Fernando. Platinum Card® and Centurion® Members and their guests can immerse themselves in a world of creativity and childhood memories. Select toys will be available for purchase online starting December 10th. Explore the gallery on the beach of The Miami Beach EDITION from December 7th — 9th, 2023.

PLAY, installation rendering | image courtesy PlayLab, Inc. and American Express

Craig Robins Collection ‘A Train Of Thoughts’

The Miami-based Craig Robins Collection features more than 1,300 pieces of contemporary art and innovative design. Showcased at the Dacra Headquarters in the Miami Design District, this year’s rearrangement of the collection is named ‘A Train of Thoughts,’ centering on two primary subgroups — figuration and conceptualism. The exhibition underscores the collection’s history of preferring intense and exaggerated figurative images alongside a self-reflective critique of art based on ideas. Although this combination seems incompatible, it gives rise to unexpected conversations. The Craig Robins Collection exhibition ‘A Train of Thoughts’ will be on view at Dacra Headquarters, 3841 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, from December 6th — 8th, 2023.

Craig Robins Collection, A Train of Thoughts, Dacra Headquarters

IKEA Open House Miami

IKEA is set to make its inaugural appearance at Art Basel Miami with the introduction of IKEA Open House Miami. The beloved Swedish design company is taking over a former nightclub on Miami Beach for an experiential activation. This event will see a complete transformation of the space, guiding visitors through a comprehensive showcase of IKEA‘s diverse range, spanning from storage to food. Larger-than-life rooms will house custom set pieces, new furniture collections, and unique sound designs. IKEA Open House Miami will be open to the public at 430 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach, from December 8th — 9th from 12pm to 4pm.

Stardust Pavilion by Flare

The Stardust Pavilion, a collaborative creation by Flare, a design studio led by architects Alessandra Cianchetta and Veruska Vasconez, is set to debut during Miami Art Week 2023. This collection of glass and steel pavilions blurs the lines between art and architecture, inspired by XVII Century ‘Follies.’ It offers an immersive, whimsical experience through captivating interplays of light and reflections. The pavilion will also host an artwork by an internationally renowned artist, and it opens to the public on November 18th, 2023, in partnership with the Miami Design District.

Flare Exterior, Stardust Pavilion