Recommendations Art Basel Miami Beach

The fairs, exhibitions and parties to visit during Art Basel Miami Beach art week by Cobi Kreiger of Alternative Tel Aviv.

More than 20 art fairs in one week – every December Miami transforms itself into an art Mecca, as the city is packed with different characters of the art industry from all over the world. The mix of warm streets and cool visitors seems to get most people mixed up, wondering where to and when? Check out our recommendations to smooth things out.

Photo: Art-Basel

Fairs

For those looking to go beyond the “must-see” Art Basel, there is a lot in store. Without a doubt, the best deal is to go to Art Miami and Context in Wynwood at their new location. Crossing to the other side of the Biscayne Bay from Miami Beach into Miami is easy with the complimentary shuttle services, running between Art Basel and Art Miami. Also, your Art Miami ticket includes an entrance to Context, so be sure to enjoy two for the price of one.

Photo: CONTEXT-Art-Miami-Fair

Exhibitions

Not far from the Context and Art Miami location, you can find the Perez Art Museum Miami. There you can enjoy the beautiful beach side while tacking in some art which can be categorized as “new media”. The current exhibition – Dara Friedman: Perfect Stranger, will be great for that, as the artist is known for her nonlinear conceptual video art.

Photo: pamm-terrace-people-photo-world-red-eye

Parties

Not straying too far, don’t miss the MANA Wynwood, which is an amazing facility that hosts artists residencies, exhibitions and during art week – even its own art fair! But art aside, MANA also throw great parties during art week. Don’t miss the special Bjork session on December 5th to get yourself ready for all the fun.

Photo: MANA 2ac

Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram for all the alternative updates during Miami art week.

Take a tour with Alternative TLV to discover the scene in Tel Aviv.
 

Tel Aviv Art Guide - October

This October in Tel Aviv, there are plenty of opportunities waiting for you to enjoy. Don’t let the end of the summer fool you – the streets of Tel Aviv remain hot from all the action!

I.

Alternative Tel Aviv Pay as you Like Florentin Graffiti Tour
Friday, October 13th 11:00-12:30

After a summer break we are back with our all-time favorite tour, offered in the most convenient way – The Florentin Graffiti tour, pay as you like! For all of you passing through in Tel Aviv, or those living here who still haven’t had the chance to check us out – this is the time to make the introduction. The tour will introduce you to the local street art scene and it’s most iconic figures. 
To book spots for the tour contact us at alternativetlv@gmail.com.

II.

Dan Gallery finds a new spot on the street
124 Ben Yehuda street, Tel Aviv

Dan Gallery, a well-known and well-established figure in the local art scene, has found a new home. While they have exhibited pieces by street artists in the past, it looks like the niche might be expanding, as they now have formed quite the team – established artists like Dede and UNTAY alongside emerging new talents such as GAB. Don’t miss the Dede bandaids on the façade!

III.

Dioz and the Synagogue in Florentin

Earlier this summer, Dioz, a figurative street artist and an AlternativeTLV favorite, created a stunning vibrant large scale mural on the synagogue wall on Abarbanel street. Sadly the piece was partially “buffed” (covered). The two lower thirds of the wall were painted a cold, boring shade of grey… Maybe winter is coming after all? 

Vienna and Tel Aviv - so different, and yet...

Staying true to custom, like all other Israelis, I found myself spending August not in Israel. Austria was the destination and Vienna was the peak of excitement. Vienna, a city of emperors and palaces and art. What could a street art lover from Tel Aviv find? Not to worry, there was plenty!

First things first, Vienna is a Mecca for art and museum lovers. While I love all things street, edgy and anti-institution, the art history graduate in me had to check some of these marvelous treasure troves off my list. The Albertina Museum, just across the street from the glorious Vienna state opera house, has a permanent display of the Habsburg State Rooms from the 19th century in which one can admire original sketches and pieces by old masters like Da Vinci and Viennese icons of Modernism like Klimt and Schiele. 

However along with this extravagant piece of history, was an excellent exhibition of contemporary art. Look! New Acquisitions was a unique display of a group of contemporary art recently purchased for the museum’s collection. Surprisingly so, my Tel Aviv street art eye was able to spot a cool connection to the streets of Tel Aviv, even in this distant setting. Burhan Dogancay is a 20th century American Turkish artist who is mostly known for his pieces inspired by walls in the urban landscape of the mid-20th century. During the 70’s Dogancay started a project of photographing walls all over the world. “Walls of the World” actually started in Israel! Graffiti and street art served as a central source of inspiration for this ambitious and innovative project. The pieces in the exhibition have words and letters in Hebrew that can easily be identified.

The paper pieces Dogancay created based on his photographs in Israel are on display in the exhibition Look! New Acquisitions in ongoing until October 8th at the Albertina Museum.

After the museum led me to walls I was thinking I should cut the middle man and find some walls for myself. Vienna has a wonderful source of information for this, the website Vienna Murals. A quick look will prove that Vienna is rich in art in the public space just as it is between the museum and gallery walls. I was specifically intrigued by the walls on the canal banks. Vienna, who’s city center or Innerstaad, is located south to the Danube River, is parted by an arm of the river, the Donaukanal. On the banks one can find many restaurants and bars, and one in particular needed to be checked out – The Vienna Tel Aviv Beach. Equipped with sand and lounge chairs, this place serves cold drinks with a beachy ambiance, and is named after the best beach in the world, at least I think so. On the walls of the bank are dozens of large scale murals to enjoy with a drink in your hand.

Finally after such long walks and such great art, you can’t help but look for a meal. The Vienna Naschmarket is the coolest place to go, offering many small, young and hip places to grab a bite from a variety of different cuisines. If you thought the Israeli street art scene didn’t pop up here – think again. At Neni, they not only serve great Israeli food, but they also have a piece by our local favorite duo – Dede Bandaid and Nitzan Mintz. At night the market booths are closed and their gates are covered in art pieces. If you take a walk around you can’t miss the two large walls they created there.

Great food, great drinks, great art and all in reference to home. Vienna and Tel Aviv are definitely different but it was great to see Tel Aviv through the Viennese angle.

Book a Street Art Tour with Alternative Tel Aviv here.

Book a private art tour in Vienna with Itai here.

TLV Urban Art Guide - July

- by Cobi Krieger (Alternative TLV)

July in Tel Aviv means summer, and summer, in Israel more than anywhere - means vacation. Pack your bags and follow us to the top urban art events in the world this month.


Exhibition title: Love is Blind, TVBOY
Venue: Imaginart, Barcelona
Dates: until August 31st


Tvboy is an Italian artist active since the mid nineties. A few years ago he relocated to Barcelona. He is Famous for his cheerful, critical and kicking pop styled images. With pride festivities still in the air, this exhibition will give you a fresh dose of colorful activism.

Coco Capitan and Gucci Collaboration
Venue: Soho, New York City


Gucci, who’s unmatched trajectory since the arrival of its creative director Alessandro Michele, has been incorporating street style in an oh so exciting way. Now expanding to street art, they have sent the textual pieces of Coco Capitan, a young artist who collaborated in the past with Drake, from their T-shirts and all over a wall in Soho.

Event: Upfest Festival
Venue: Bristol
Dates: July 29th - 31st, 2017


Being Europe’s largest live street art festival, spreading over 30 venues in Bristol, the Upfest festival is definitely any street art lovers way to end the month with a bang. Participating this year are over 300 artists from over 30 countries, no doubt there will be lots to see. 

TLV Urban Art Guide - June

June brings heat to the streets of Tel Aviv, and the urban art scene is heating up as well!


Work: Nitzan Mintz and Dede Ad Takeover
Area: Corner of Lincoln and Yehuda Ha-Levi Street.


Introducing a new medium, relatively unused in the streets of Tel Aviv, especially in a scale like this; Nitzan Mintz and Dede take over two huge ad spaces in central Tel Aviv. Nitzan introduced a known poem of hers in a very big scale. Notice that each of the letters was finished by hand. Dede pushed the envelope with a supposedly nude model (it's our beloved gallery tour guide Tali Kayam!) covered with his famous bandaids. Could this be a new series? We hope so!

Nitzan Mintz

DEDE

Work: Tel Aviv Proud stencils
Area: Florentin Neighborhood.


Just in time for the best event in town during June – Tel Aviv Pride parade – here is a selection of some proud stencils that can be found in Florentin neighborhood.

Work: New piece by urban artist Ame 72
Area: Abarbanel Street, Florentin Neighborhood.


Ame 72 is a known artist in the streets of Tel Aviv. He also recently had his work exhibited in the ZK Gallery in San Francisco. A very fresh piece of his can be found on Abarbanel street, this one addresses the issue of global warming, which is very appropriate for our global conditions and the local weather getting hotter and hotter this time of year.

- by Cobi Krieger