A Weekend at Art Basel

It seems unimaginable that just this morning I woke up in Miami - and now it's snowing outside my window, finals are upon us, and I'm swimming in 600+ photos that prove I did, in fact, play hooky from school to attend Art Basel this year. 

Though I used to go to the exhibits when I was still in high school back in Florida, my developing experiences in the art history world have made this year's trip all the more memorable. While I don't plan on providing you with a formal analysis of the pieces as proxies for whatever they mean, I do wish to share my adventure at Art Basel, and sprinkle some of the highlight photos along the way. 

So brace yourselves for a visual overload, a sensory extravaganza - save the 11,000 steps it took to see it all in person. 

One thing to note from the get go: I don't claim to take better photos of these pieces than you can probably find on Google or a collector's site; rather, I simply want to share with you the way I saw them. Meaning, there are more than just a few slanted shots, probably testaments to the shuffle between booths and the cursory glances of some of the works. Oh! And the fact that after dodging spectator after spectator, sometimes I gave up and made the human obstructions a part of the shot:

After all, upon discovering both instagram accounts @girlsinmuseums and @dressedtomatch (thanks to my Partner in Basel, Alana) the obstruction can even be part of the art. 

And for all the art you weren't really supposed to be a part of, there was a whole corner dedicated to playing with pasta. I kid you not - you could sit down at the greasy table and were, for once in your life, encouraged to play with your food:

Aside from the magnetism of the carbs, I found myself drifting towards all the neon light fixtures - an homage to my childhood fascinations with bright lights and vibrant colors. 

Wording wasn't the only thing brightly displayed at Art Basel: there were plenty of optical installations, namely those of Julio Le Parc (prominently featured currently at PAMM, and part of the content of the next post!). 

And though the galleries obviously boast the main attractions, I couldn't help but notice that the gallerists' workspaces weren't always your standard, foldable chairs. 

At one point, I decided to trail my dad - a man with a history of creativity not often understood by me or the rest of my nuclear family. For context, he would always pick the most bizarre, un-appealing ice cream flavor combinations, and somehow they would taste incredible! So, I figured, if I applied ice cream logic here, what he was drawn to could be those hidden gems. Turns out he fancied corners of benches and hanging who-knows-what - per usual:

But, hey, who am I to knock other people's photos of choice? I mean, my friends and I more than made fools of ourselves at any possible photo op. 

And, before I bombard you with the rest of my visual adventure, I'll sign off - and by sign off I mean resume my reading week responsibilities. Until next year!

Xx, Maia