Day 6. Strike 4. Art Positions

Using shipping containers as their four walls, 20 galleries from around the world set up shop just behind Collins Avenue and just in front of the boardwalk around 21st Street in Miami Beach. The area is quickly becoming a hub of luxurious prominence, with the magnificent new Setai (see LaChapelle´s extravaganza) on one side of the gigantic parking lot and W residences & hotel ("from 700,000 to 15 million") on the other.

One gallery took this opportunity to crush their container and present it as their very customized, site specific installation.

Another container screened a video of a camera falling 17,000 feet out of a plane. The gallery had an addendum to their installation in the form of a giant Bourek in the park as an isolated sculpture. I love boureks--filo pastries common in central europe--so I ran over to go see it. This bourek is an airplane flattened and rolled, held together with a canvas strap and standing on its side!

Like everything at Art Basel, it was very sleek, very hip, very now. In case walking in and out of each of these shipping containers might wear you out a lovely cafe was set up in the center of the exhibit.


And if you wanted to lounge about, in an even more recumbent position, there was an audio installation replete with reclining beach chairs and iPODs.

Only in Miami, I say. Even if the iPODs were attached with a security wire....


jill

More photos here.
Or slide show here.