Vitas Healthcare Building, Downtown Miami, Art Basel 2023
Vandals not only took over Miami but literally destroyed the Vitas Healthcare Building during Art Basel 2023. Destroyed is a harsh word depending on which side of the fence you sit. To me the building looks friggin’ spectacular. To others, who knows. And who cares.
This was the first winter since 2020 I haven’t spent locked in a cage so the parole man wouldn’t dare let me slide outta state for Basel, but next year, one way or the other, my ass will be present.
Here’s a little recap for ya to check out.
Miami boasts a thriving graffiti scene, with iconic crews like MSG leaving their mark. The Wynwood art district has gained recognition for officially embracing graffiti and providing legal walls for street-art muralists. The city even hosts the Museum of Graffiti, open for the past four years.
Despite Art Basel featuring numerous graffiti-themed events, this year’s standout works weren’t confined to the convention center but adorned an abandoned building in Downtown Miami. Following the announcement of One Bayfront Plaza’s demolition, graffiti artists from worldwide descended during Art Basel, transforming the structure.
Crews like MSK and OTR, with artists like HAEL, DR. DAKS, REVOK, VAYNE, MERCH, and others, contributed, joined by Europe’s 1UP crew. SAUTE and ENERI scaled one side to create massive vertical tags, while RAMS and ZWON tackled the other with filled-in vertical pieces. The graffiti on One Bayfront Plaza serves as a transient testament to the unsanctioned art created annually during Miami Art Basel.
[Complex.com]
