The most wonderful time of year in Miami, FL has come and gone and aside from the weather, it did not disappoint. Taking place the first week of December, the celebration of contemporary art and culture known as Art Basel Miami Beach commenced on December 2nd , 2015 with a bevy of art and culture infused haute events well equipped with artists, celebrities, collectors, art enthusiasts, libations and music. Miami Beach’s hottest new hotel The Miami Beach EDITION was THE place to be on Wednesday night.
To jumpstart the week, HALF GALLERY, HARPER’S BOOKS AND SALON 94 PRESENT EDITION BUNGALOW POP UP Wednesday evening in a stylish duplex bungalow. The two galleries and the high-end literary dealer hosted a casually chic event decorated with Tom Sachs sculptures along with new work from Aurel Schmidt and Daniel Heidkamp, as well as hand-painted books from Justin Adian adorned the first floor of the bungalow. Justin signed copies of “Fort Worth,” his latest catalogue with an essay by the acclaimed Dave Hickey. In conjunction with 303 Gallery, Sue Williams signed her new book and Salon 94 presented a book signing with Sylvie Fleury who also had a solo show nearby at The Bass Museum. Harper’s Books have new material from Richard Prince as well as paintings by Matthew King. Above on the second floor, Louis B James presented virtual reality artist Jeremy Couillard’s -‘Somewhere on Mars it’s Daytime and the Wind is Blowing Dust Down from a Mountain and Into a Valley’ where guests are invited for a 4-minute other worldly experience. Guests included: Glenn O’Brien, Bill Powers, Jeremy Korst, Sue Williams, Justin Adian, Jean Pigozzi, Sylvie Fleury and Jeremy Couillard.
Off in the intimate 1950’s glamour inspired Matador Room TINA BROWN & IAN SCHRAGER HOSTS A DINNER AND DISCUSSION WITH ADAM WEINBERG to celebrate THE WHITNEY DIRECTOR’S CAREER WITH AN INTIMATE DINNER. EDITION’s very own Ian Schrager hosted a glamourous VIP dinner with Tina Brown, honoring The Whitney Museum’s Adam Weinberg. Guests were welcomed in Jean-Georges Vongerichten beautiful Matador Room and were seated after cocktails for a delicious dinner before the main event with Tina live interviewing Adam on his remarkable work and vision within the art world. Guests included: Ian Schrager, Tina Brown, Adam Weinberg, Miguel, Amanda Hearst, John Pawson, Beth Rudin deWoody, Casey Fremont, Jemima Kirke, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas,
Overlooking the beach poolside in the Edition’s lush backyard, M·A·C Cosmetics kicked off Art Basel Miami Beach celebrating the launch of Ellie Goulding’s special collection. With more than 250 beauty and fashion insiders, top international editors, influencers, musicians and VIPs gathered at Miami Beach EDITION hotel where they were treated to an exclusive intimate acoustic performance by Ellie. During the evening, guests including Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School, Kelly Bensimon, Jill Stewart, Melissa Odabash, Hannah Bronfman, Emory Stewart, Ric Pipino, James Gager, Ilene Albright, Wendy Diamond, James Provencher, Jon Warech and Courtney Einhorn danced and mingled to sounds from celebrity DJ Brendan Fallis.