The best Art Basel Miami Beach 2022 events, parties and exhibitions

ICA Miami stays up late on First Friday, the museum’s signature free, after-hours event series. Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot will perform at the unveiling and installation of CryptoPunk #305, a first-of-its-kind NFT artwork being donated to ICA Miami by web3 leader and NFT art innovator Yuga Labs. On the heels of other high-profile projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Meebits, CryptoPunk is part of Yuga Labs' new Punks Legacy project, and the Miami work will be the group's inaugural donation in the series. RSVP in advance

Following the success of their iconic Rain Room, which allows visitors to walk through a downpour without getting wet, acclaimed art group Random International unveils Living Room, a new light-based installation on Faena Beach. This time around, the cutting-edge, experiential installation commissioned by Aorist will utilize blockchain technology to revolutionize how visitors experience and collect art. Aorist—who recently commissioned the first-ever indoor drone performance by DRIFT at the 2022 Venice Biennale—and Faena Art also co-present Quayola’s Effets de Soir in the Faena Project Room. The video series continues the artist’s ongoing focus on nature, pictorial traditions and new, technology-centered artistic practices. 3420 Collins Ave, Miami Beach

Saint Laurent is reissuing Madonna’s infamous book of erotic photography, Sex, 30 years after its first publication. To mark the occasion, the house invites visitors to wander freely through the world of the iconic book at a sleek gallery space on the sand of Miami Beach. Conceived by Madonna, photographed by Steven Meisel and art-directed by Fabien Baron, Sex was an instant hit when it was published in 1992. Beachfront & 17th St, Miami Beach; Nov 29–Dec 4 10am–7pm; free

This juried art competition presented by the City of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority platforms local artists and invites the public to experience Miami Beach’s famed hotels as fleeting art destinations in their own right. Now in its third and biggest year, No Vacancy has tapped 12 artists to create site-specific works across 12 iconic Miami Beach hotels like The Avalon, The Betsy, Faena and Fontainebleau. Miami creators including Brookhart Jonquil, Justin Long, Jessy Nite and Antonia Wright each received a stipend of $10,000 to realize their project at the participating hotel locations. Installations will be on view from November 17 through December 8, when the winner will be announced. Various locations

The edgy dance labels Life & Death and Innervisions return to Virginia Key Beach for their annual fest, featuring multiple stages and moments that “will awaken the deepest of your senses,” according to organizers. This year's lineup includes Dixon, TSHA, Moodymann, Seth Troxler, DJ Tennis, Powder, Or:la, Yu Su, Quest and more. Missed the electro-dance fest? Spring for the All Along Pass, intended for “free spirits and daydreamers” with the stamina to groove all day and night. Remember to pace yourself: The party doesn’t stop until 7am the next day.

Experience a mixed-reality art and culinary experience created by artist Mattia Casalegno in collaboration with Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning chef Chintan Pandya of Semma, Dhamaka and Adda fame. Inspired by F. T. Marinetti’s The Futurist Cookbook, a 1932 collection of surreal recipes full of optimistic and utopian proclamations about the future of dining, Aerobanquets RMX is an immersive gastronomy experience where textures and flavors are rendered in virtual scenes but crafted and tasted in real life. The experience is narrated by Top Chef judge Gail Simmons and features an original soundtrack by Martux_M, who recently performed at the Sonar festival in Barcelona and the Venice Biennale. Nov 28–Dec 4

Club Space recently closed its outdoor satellite venue, Space Park, in Little River, but they're keeping the party alive at a new pop-up location in Wynwood throughout Art Week. Per usual, the lineup is an eclectic mix of electronic artists, from Diplo and Axel Boman to Claptone, Honey Dijon and Derrick Carter. Purchase tickets to individual shows, or spring for a Basel Pass which grants you entry to the full week of programming. 2250 NW 2nd Ave; Various dates, times and prices 

Crypto and NFTs might not be making the same kind of splash they were at last year's buzziest Art Week events, but this year's The Gateway: A Web3 Metropolis activation in Downtown proves that ambitious web3-based art isn't going away anytime soon. As a follow-up to 2021’s major activation that introduced NFTs to the masses, this year’s experience presented by nft now and Mana Common and powered by MoonPay moves beyond screens to take over 12 buildings and two city Flagler District blocks across five days during Basel. Immerse yourself in activations from major brands like Christie’s, Instagram and Porsche, along with artists like Beeple and Pussy Riot, and speakers like Clegfx, Senior Director of Design at Nike and Keith A. Grossman, President of Time. Various locations, dates and times; Free with registration

This Tulum-imported electronic music and art festival takes over 30 acres of verdant waterfront at Virginia Key Beach Park ahead of Art Basel 2022. In addition to headlining performances by the likes of Jamie XX, Moderat, SG Lewis, Big Wild and others, the two-day, all-ages Art With Me will feature large-scale installations and galleries, craft and organic food vendors, yoga and dance classes, breathing and mindfulness workshops, and children’s activities in an idyllic, boho-inspired setting.

Pérez Art Museum Miami presents an immersive exhibition featuring iconic artworks by Leandro Erlich in the Argentine artist’s first monographic survey show in North America. The 16 works in Leandro Erlich: Liminal have been selected and arranged by New York-based guest curator Dan Cameron to offer an underlying narrative on the act of perception and its possibilities, and to create a conversation between the audience and the art itself.

Visitors will be able to interact with some of Erlich’s most widely known artworks and installations, including Swimming Pool. Constructed to be viewed from either above or inside, the work allows viewers to look down and see people “underwater” (through a layer of water contained in transparent glass), while those below exist in an apparently suspended reality. Other works in the show at PAMM include The Cloud, Erlich’s celebrated glass sculptures of ephemeral beauty, and the labyrinthine Changing Rooms. 

London-based gallery Saatchi Yates presents a powerful solo show of new paintings by contemporary Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Urgessa in its pop-up exhibition space next to the Institute of Contemporary Art and De La Cruz Collection in the Design District. On view from November 22 through December 20, Urgessa's new body of 15 large-scale paintings takes a deep dive into representations of race and the politics of identity, with Ethiopian iconography central to Urgessa’s artistic production. 35 NE 40th St

The Wilzig Erotic Art Museum of Miami will unveil Jamie McCartney’s seminal work, “The Great Wall of Vulva!” Following exhibitions in European institutions such as the Triennale di Milano and Musex - Museu Pedagógico do Sexo in Lisbon, the 26-foot-long mosaic of plaster-cast, genital close-ups of 400 women lands in the US for the first time during Art Week 2022. Additional shows opening in tandem include New York artist Kevin Berlin’s "Quarantine Nudes" and “Intimate Forms,” a selection of works by widely collected Cuban artist Emilio Sanchez, as well a folio by famed British occultist Austin Osman Spare, “Psychopathia Sexualis.” From November 28

In a moment of appreciation for the word "beach" in the omnipresent Art Basel Miami Beach moniker, Whispering Angel (the official rosé brand of Basel) has teamed up with the Surfrider Foundation to host its first annual Miami Beach cleanup. Rub elbows and get your hands dirty with the Art Basel team, the leadership team from Surfrider, gallerists, Miami locals, city officials and art enthusiasts from around the world as you give back to the city and the ocean that gives us so much. Plus, we can only assume there will be plenty of rosé at the end to reward your good deed for the day. 18th Street Beach, Miami Beach; Mon, Nov 28 at 10am; RSVP in advance

HIVE is Wynwood's signature free, multi-day cocktail, culinary, art and music activation during Basel. Nestled across two blocks of Wynwood's main artery, this four-day event offers a sanctuary from the pushy crowds with multiple cocktail bars, lounges, live, large-scale mural painting, DJs and other performers. Located inside Wynwood Marketplace, expect a variety of rotating clothing, apparel, skate and novelty shops plus a full-sized club, thedeck, featuring surprise guests all weekend lasting into the late hours of the night. 2250 NW 2nd Ave; RSVP in advance for a free cocktail

Resy and American Express have collaborated on a four-day pop-up dinner series that celebrates the intersection of food, art and culture within a site-specific gallery installation by acclaimed artist Phillip K. Smith III. Headlining chefs of the intimate Design District dinners include Massimo Bottura (Nov. 29), Missy Robbins (Dec. 1) and Mashama Bailey (Dec. 2), plus a gallery day (Nov. 30) with food and drinks by Michael Solomonov. Other highlights include the return of the American Express Savor & Soul brunch (Dec. 2), showcasing Black chefs and culture with a menu curated by Mashama Bailey. Resy will also host special events at Miami hotspots like Cote and Mandolin in Design District, and Joe’s Stone Crab in South Beach, exclusive for Global Dining Access Members. Various dates and locations

Contemporary arts are back at Vizcaya, just in time for Basel. To commemorate the museum's latest installation, they're hosting an artist talk and brunch reception for just $5. Explore the famed estate and gaze upon “Wish Towers” by Jaime and Javier Suárez Berrocal, inspired by the native coral limestone that was used extensively in the creation of the gardens. Learn more about the piece during the talk (10am) and then move to the Fountain Garden for brunch, complete with pastries and mimosas (11am), all for just $5. Dec 3, 9:30am

Acclaimed curator and author Pamela Golbin will be in conversation with French designer Jean-Louis Deniot, discussing his work, creative process, signature style and exclusive projects. From Los Angeles, New York and Miami to London, Paris, Bangkok and Tangier, Deniot's distinctive commissions (penthouse apartments, sprawling villas and custom constructions) surprise in their variety as well as their common thread—passion. Copies of Deniot's new book, Destinations: Jean-Louis Deniot, will be available for sale at a reception and signing after the talk. Tue, Nov 29, 7–9pm; free

German electronic music innovator Paul van Dyk brings his legendary DJ set to Treehouse over Art Basel weekend. Wielding multiple computers, keyboards and samplers, Paul van Dyk creates his signature, high-energy sound layered with live loops for a truly bespoke dance music experience.

The Design District has awarded its 2022 Annual Design Commission to Miami-based architect and designer Germane Barnes. Rock | Roll is a multifaceted installation that draws on the vibrancy of Miami Carnival to honor the BIPOC communities that contribute to Miami’s polyethnic culture. Explore the neighborhood to discover and interact with a series of massive, whimsical capsules that rock back and forth when activated by users; hundreds of windchimes evoking the sounds of soca music hung up in the trees; and a free-floating dome suspended overhead and animated by light and sound, which will serve as an anchor to a communal and lively commission. Various locations

BIPOC visual artist Vincent Peters, known as ÆTHELSTAN, partners with Decree349R, a non-profit organization created to counter Cuba's Decree 349, forbidding artists from creating any type of music or art without the government’s permission, to present Art is Dead. The new art collection supports the families of Cuban artists in prison, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, one of Time's 100 Most influential people in 2021. The collection, whose first work was sold to Ice-T, features 18 acrylic and oil pastel paintings, with 100% of the profits going to support artists through Decree349R.org. 5600 NW 7th Ave; Dec 1–5, free

This eight-day festival at the intersection of film and technology brings together the best in mind-bending, immersive storytelling and extended reality experiences. Expect over a week of innovative works including screenings, interactive exhibits, dome performances, live music and dance performances plus creative labs and master classes. Various dates and locations

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The streaming service's first-ever Art Basel activation is a riff on its new original series, Riches, which follows the exploits of the stylish, privileged and super-successful Richards family.  Curated by Donnamarie Baptiste, guests will see various mediums from artists like Marryam Noma, Carlos Idun-Tawiah, Tammie Knight and Morel Doucet that map back to the overlooked efforts of Black entrepreneurs and creatives who, like the Richards family, push boundaries and excel despite the odds. The exhibition will also offer attendees various photo moments like an editorial-style photo op that places guests as the "Face of Flair & Glory," a highly coveted honor within the series. Soho Studios, 2136 NW 1st Ave; Dec 2–3, noon–9pm; RSVP in advance

Mattel Creations and the Museum of Graffiti join forces for Stack the Deck, an experiential art show that brings new meaning to "collectible toys." Watch as eight global graffiti artists live-paint their own wild interpretations of larger-than-life UNO cards to be featured in an upcoming UNO specialty deck. Artists include Sneke, Tones, Ras Terms, Queen Andrea, Finok, Ladie One, Merlot and Yubia. The limited-edition, graffiti-covered deck will be made-to-order and available for pre-sale at the event and online starting December 2.

The collaborative art duo FriendsWithYou will debut a 50-foot-tall public sculpture titled Starchild in the midst of all the Basel chaos at Miami Beach’s Henry Liebman Square. Starchild will coincide with two presentations at Art Basel Miami Beach where the duo will debut more new work with Nanzuka and GAVLAK. The artwork is a culmination of the artist’s two-decade career, and the main character in the duo’s newest body of work, a long-form conceptual project in which the artists are renaming the Earth to “Ocean” as a means to unify the planet by a name. The official unveiling will take place on Monday, November 28 at 4pm. Henry Liebman Square, 41st St & Pine Tree Dr, Miami Beach

Known for breaking fresh talent and giving primary museum exposure to under-recognized artists, ICA Miami presents contemporary works and site-specific installations across six galleries and a 15,000-square-foot sculpture garden. The museum will unveil three new solo exhibitions during Art Basel for its highly anticipated 2022 fall season, including the rarely seen works from the 90s by late artist Michel Majerus, a suite of new large-scale works by artist Nina Chanel Abney, and a presentation of over a dozen early works by Hervé Télémaque.

MOCA North Miami presents “Didier William: Nou Kite Tout Sa Dèyè,” the largest solo exhibition of the Haitian-born, North Miami-raised artist’s career to date. Translated as “We’ve Left That All Behind,” the show is imbued with and literally surrounded by memories of the neighborhood where Williams once grew up. The more than 40 works on display will span paintings (including brand-new painted works), printmaking, drawings and artist books. Curated by Erica Moiah James, Ph.D, the exhibition will also premiere William’s first monumental sculpture: a 12-foot-tall wooden body emblematic of a religious column present in Haitian worship rituals. In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum has partnered with ten-time Emmy award-winning producer and director Marlon Johnson to produce a documentary on William, along with a series of scholarly public programs around the artist and his works.

Multi-disciplinary artists Friday, Loni Johnson and VantaBlack come together for a group exhibition at New World Gallery opening in tandem with Miami Art Week. Enter through the doorway of The Front Room into an erected and carefully arranged space of comfort, intimacy and belonging. Exploring themes of home, identity and memory, the free and open-to-the-public show is curated by Pamela 'Zee' Lopez Del Carmen and centers around liberation from the deep social practice of self-containment and self-negation. The opening reception takes place Friday, November 18 from 6 to 9pm. New World Gallery, 25 NE 2 Street.

Stop by SoundCloud's Basel pop-up for a full day of activations centered around the art of self-made music-making. Get your portrait snapped by Miami-based photographer and creative director Derick G, then drop your best 16 bars in the booth with Circle House producers CMG Breezy, Renedage and Jesus Bobe, and Girls Make Beats producer DJ Bleu. Stick around for panel discussions on the power of collaboration and breaking into the music biz. Hosted by Miami influencer Norma Now, the event concludes with a night of live performances from yet-to-be-announced artists shifting the culture.

Presented by SaveArtSpace and curated by Colombian climate activist, social entrepreneur and curator Angela Del Sol, Ancient Future is a public exhibition that will plaster climate-conscious artworks across 13 bus shelters and seven billboards around Miami and Miami Beach. The open-call initiative invites multimedia artists to explore the connection between technology, climate and art and envision how the future might look if humanity came together to solve the climate crisis. Various locations

Mikey Lion, Oscar G, Danny Tenaglia and Sasha are among the talent announced so far at this year's five-day series of Epic Pool Parties. Expect a mix of hard-hitting house and techno DJs performing from a festival-style mainstage complete with cutting-edge visuals, food vendors, bottle service and VIP options like private cabanas and beds. Dance, drink, party and lounge poolside at the Sagamore Hotel, an Art Deco gem in the heart of South Beach.

The second annual Audacy Beach Festival is showing up big time this fall with an impressive lineup of acts. The two-day event kicks off on Saturday with performances by Muse, Jack White, Jimmy Eat World and Phoenix. Sunday headlines include Machine Gun Kelly, The 1975, The Used and Dashboard Confessional. It's an alt-lovers dream. The event takes place on Fort Lauderdale Beach and festivalgoers are encouraged to bring towels and blankets to sit on, though chairs are not allowed.

Jamaican-born, Brussels-based interdisciplinary artist Jamilah Sabur explores the dynamics of geology, climatology, geography and memory, power and capitalism in her latest exhibition for The Bass. Comprised of performance, video, installation and visual works, The Harvesters highlights the labor of extraction, juxtaposing physical labor and the mining of geological materials alongside extreme global weather patterns to illustrate the powerful point that humanity goes beyond physical capital.

Opening as part of its Art Week 2022 programming, MOCA North Miami and curator Adeze Wilford present Kanaval, a retrospective by photographer, filmmaker, curator, collector and writer Leah Gordon that documents 20 years of Carnival in Haiti. Consisting of a series of black-and-white photographs taken on a mechanical medium format camera, the stark, otherworldly images are contextualized by a series of oral histories related by the leaders of various troupes who oversee the design of the costume and narratives surrounding Carnival. Together, the show reflects the wealth of invention, fable and self-generated mythology prevalent in much of Haitian culture. Debuting in tandem with Kanaval, a new feature-length documentary offers a kinetic counterpoint to the portraits.