Artist Gretchen Andrew Welcomes You to Miami Art Week
Are you coming to Miami? I am already here. I’ve been here since Thanksgiving when I opted to skip turkey and traditions and meet my team coming in from Europe. Traditions are funny things.
Algorithms, which I work with regularly in my art practice, have what is known as the ‘explore vs exploit’ decision to make. When writing an algorithm it has to be determined how much time, energy, and resources are to be put towards finding an acceptable solution and exploiting it versus exploring for a better solution. People who are always looking for a better solution are also known as optimizers whereas I’m more inclined to find a bar I like well enough and go there every Thursday until I die.
Miami Art Week, with its regular presentations at Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami/, Untitled Art, NADA, and SCOPE are as exciting as they are routine. And what is art but the greatest tradition of them all? Passed down, changed, confused, built on, and circling wild loops that are both different and reimagined versions of timeless questions, conversations, hopes, and fears. As artists, collectors, and lovers of art we get to choose our traditions, our influences, and the way we perpetuate and partake in the story of art.
Gretchen Andrew in Miami.
Miami is my tradition that I share with fellow aesthetically and luxury-minded people from all over the world who fly to see, taste, hear, be inspired, and be entertained by the clash of the art world’s Art Basel Miami with fashion, film, celebrity, food, and design.
I might have skipped Thanksgiving but I’m very thankful for the champagne and the sun and all of you I get to reconnect with, all of you I get to meet for the first time this year. See you soon.
What to EXPLORE in Miami This Week, According to Gretchen Andrew
Gretchen Andrew at the Museum of Sex in Miami.
Museum of Sex Opens in Miami in 2024
The famous New York museum now has a Miami location. The Miami Museum of Sex held a wild VIP preview last Friday night that featured underwater mermaid dances, sexy cats, slides, and a bounce house made of boobs. Yet, that was not even the most sensational part of the museum. More wild still is the well-curated and beautifully presented exhibition. If you want to learn, marvel, and bounce around with some awesome selfies to prove I highly recommend the Museum of Sex open to the public in 2024.
Flyer for Sukeban Miami.
Japanese Women’s Wrestling League Debuts in Miami
On Wednesday night, December 6, Sukeban, a Japanese female wrestling league will debut at Lot 11 Skatepark 325 NW 2nd St, Miami, FL 33128 during which they will crown their first-ever champion. Marc Newson designed and created the Championship Belt, in collaboration with renowned Japanese illustrator Ayako Ishiguro, to be awarded to the victor of the main event. The wrestling costumes are designed by Olympia Le-Tan and Kunichi Nomura is hosting the match. I’m intrigued. I’ll be there.
Tequila over Champagne
You can drink champagne in Basel. In Miami, it’s all about the Tequila. This year both Design Miami/ and SCOPE have an official Tequila sponsor, Maestro Dobel. Maestro Dobel Tequila’s Apothecary will bring its third annual thematic, “Oaxaca: A Lens On Tradition And Innovation” to the Design Miami/ VIP Lounge. The exhibition honors Oaxaca’s rich heritage, traditions, and contemporary craftsmanship that the tequila shares.
What to EXPLOIT: Classics to Continue Enjoying in Miami This Year, According to Gretchen Andrew
Miami Accommodations
Finding the right spot to stay during Miami Art Week involves a careful calculation involving your events, insistence on traffic avoidance, and choice of footwear. While the main fairs including Art Basel Miami Beach, Untitled Art, SCOPE, and Design Miami/ are down around 19th street, staying between the Faena on 33rd and the Fontainebleau on 44th will give you the best access to all the action. Even Miami classics have a new twist. The famous Fontainebleau has opened a new restaurant, Mirabella, and I am looking forward to trying it.
Courtesy of Gretchen Andrew.
The Main Event: Art Basel Miami Beach
The center of gravity is Art Basel Miami Beach. Art Basel’s application process assures high quality, professionalism, and some of the best presented artwork all in one, out-of-the-sun place. Walking in the main tent can almost be refreshing, and calming compared to the heat and intensity outside. And if you can’t make it to Miami this year the best you can do is to experience the Untitled Fair with Vortic VR.
Joe’s Stone Crab
Stone crabs regrow their claws so the process of fishing them concludes with their return to the ocean. This is why stone crab is only available fresh from October 15 to May 1. Is Joe’s cliché or classic? It’s both and I think it’s delicious enough to be exploited.
