Art Basel Miami Beach has only continued to grow since its debut, and this year, in its 15th installment, the fair promises to be a larger than life showcase of not just traditional art, but all forms of creativity. From fashion to film to the art of the opulent party, innovators of every kind will be creating a spectacle for the crowd of jet-setting A-listers, collectors, fashion folk and oligarchs that will descend on the Magic City from December 1 through 5. Never ones to shy away from doing our part, DuJour will kick-off the week with an event co-hosted by Gilt and JetSmarter at The Confidante Miami Beach. The fête, in partnership with InList (an app we recommend anyone who’s Basel bound download immediately), epitomizes this unique convergence of art forms that has come to define Art Basel’s American edition.
The Confidante Miami Beach
The guest of honor is none other than our current cover star, Kris Jenner, herself a master of the art of celebrity. There will be a toast to celebrate the release of All-American XVI, the latest installment of Nan Bush’s and Bruce Weber’s annual arts journal. The host committee comprises a roster of personalities known for their contribution to the arts of commerce, entertainment, fashion and more (who include accessories designer Alexa Greenfield, model Karolina Kurková and husband Archie Drury, television star and designer Audrina Patridge, swimwear designer Hollie Watman, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, publicity magnate and entrepreneur Ronn Torossian, JetSmarter founder Sergey Petrossov and Scott Disick).
The culinary arts will be represented by sushi from Kuro, a restaurant inside Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino regarded for its fresh take on the Japanese staple. Music will take the form of sets by The Extortionists featuring Ibe Soliman and DKNY and Public School designers, Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne—who will kick-off a Basel-long residency at The Confidante with the event.
“For this installation, we looked at the idea of radio as performance art. We didn’t want to create this pseudo fashion art piece. Instead we wanted to gather our friends and peers and luminaries from different disciplines, not just fashion but art, music, literature and the culinary world to form a dynamic mix of people to have these conversations,” Chow says of the residency, which runs from December 1 through 4, in a release. “We also wanted to tackle the idea of borders and how important they have become in current events. It became clear to us that borders don’t really exist in nature and are more of a man made construct that has only helped to create division. Through conversation we can extinguish the invisible borders that divide us.”
No matter what form it takes, as Chow suggests, art at its best can break borders and open minds. Which is exactly why we continue to put on events like this year’s bash: to unite creative forces and begin inspiring dialogues. Oh, and maybe to have some fun while we’re at it, too.
