By: Allie Early Category: ART+FASHION Date: 19.Dec.2013

When Ernest Baylor, Balz Hilt and Trudi Bruckner founded Art Basel back in 1970, a mere 90 galleries and a handful of presenting international artists probably seemed like a large turnout. Now, the successful event displays in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong, enriching each city with film, custom installations and a wide range of popular spin-offs for one week each year across the globe.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 has grown exponentially in popularity since its induction in 2002, and this year’s exceptional exhibition touted almost 300 innovative participants with bright, unusual and truly wild showpieces to an extraordinary 75,000 international guests. Let’s round up a few of the highlights below:





Jeff Koons – BMW M3 Art Car, 2010
Miami Beach Botanical Garden

Jeff Koons is renowned for his unique contemporary artwork, and now he’s had a part in BMW’s M3 Art Car, a spectacularly bright addition to the Art Car collection. The car’s exterior design evokes a feeling of movement, and under the hood, the vehicle’s V8 engine delivers 0-65mph in a measly 3.4 seconds. In the past, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer and more have inspired Art Cars, and the “79” on Koons’ edition pays homage to Andy Warhol’s 1979 design, making for a meta bit of pop tribute.

Jeppe Hein – Appearing Rooms, 2004
303 Gallery Johann Koenig, Galleri Nicolai Wallner

Hein’s Appearing Rooms offers a square water pavilion with “walls” of water that randomly rise and fall, encouraging guests to move within the structure to see the constantly changing interior spaces. But beware, you’re likely to get wet—though anyone coming to Miami with the intention of staying dry and sand-free had probably better stay clear of the event as a whole.





Olaf Breuning – Smoke Grid, 2013
Collins Park, Miami Beach

During the public opening night of Art Basel Miami, Breuning’s installation, Smoke Grid, set off colored smoke canisters duct-taped to intricately connected piping. Greens, blues, yellows and reds combined against the fountain’s white glow to create an unusual cloud of colored smoke, making for one of the week’s most notable visual marvels.





Louis Vuitton – La Maison au Bord de L’Eau, 2013

Architect Charlotte Perriand’s original structure, La Maison au Bord de L’Eau, was originally created in the 1940s for a design competition, taking shape again later as a luxury dwelling. Now, Louis Vuitton celebrates Charlotte Perriand with this incredible outdoor installation featuring raw wood, found object décor and an easy-to-disassemble system.

Desire Obtain Cherish – Intensive Care Units, 2013
Unix Fine Art Booth D3

Street artist Desire Obtain Cherish showcased several pieces at Art Basel Miami, though Intensive Care Units stood out as a true frontrunner. These 18k nickel-plated bags (made to resemble hospital IV bags) offered a strong dose of brands like Rolex, Manolo Blahnik and Cartier.

For more information on December 2014’s Art Basel Miami Beach (and details on next year’s exhibitions), visit Basel’s website.

[Photo credit: artbasel.com]