Edgy US political climate reflected at Art Basel in Miami Beach
- Energetic party town plays host this week to displays from 268 galleries and 35 countries
The volatile political climate in the United States reverberates at Art Basel, the international art fair held in December in Miami Beach, with some artists portraying a country on the “verge of chaos”, populated by “phantasmagoric” minorities.
Miami Beach, a barrier island facing Miami, is celebrated for its beaches and its unbridled party atmosphere.
Young tourists can be seen “twerking” on the roofs of their rented cars, and on long weekends a drunken mass of humanity often spills into the streets, in unruly scenes punctuated by gunfire and police checks.
But during “art week”, which is held every year during the first week of December, flip-flops are replaced with designer clothes, beer with champagne, and suddenly the slender island is populated by a horde of trend-setting art lovers and dealers from around the world.
In this dressed-up version of Miami Beach, 268 galleries from some 35 countries will put works on display from Thursday through Sunday – from the abstract or conceptual to the frivolous.
