Art Wynwood, Superfine Fill the Need For Art Fair Fix in February

Los-Angeles based street artist RISK’s mural, painted on the side of a boat, welcomes visitors to Art Wynwood. The art fair’s preview day is Thursday, Feb. 16, then opens to the public Friday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 19  in downtown Miami. (Photo courtesy of the artist)

Art Wynwood is treating visitors to a nautical surprise. The art fair has commissioned a unique mural from Los Angeles-based street artist RISK, which has been painted on a boat.

The artwork is an intentional tie-in to the weekend’s other big event, the Miami International Boat Show. The massive marketplace for yachts, sailboats, and all variety of oceangoing craft is happening across six locations on President’s Day weekend, one of which just happens to be on Herald Plaza in midtown, across the street from a tent full of art.

Art Wynwood art fair is back for its first edition since 2020 alongside the Miami International Boat Show at Herald Plaza. (Photo courtesy of Art Wynwood)

Back for its first edition since 2020 (preview day is Thursday, Feb. 16, then it opens to the public Friday, Feb 17 through Sunday, Feb. 19, Art Wynwood may no longer be located in the once-artsy neighborhood that gives it its name, but its strategic location on the bay means a boat show attendee can easily shop for art as soon as they’re done buying their latest boat. That’s the plan, according to Art Wynwood Director Julian Navarro.

“The idea is to try to build a collectors base,” he says. “It’s a really good show in terms of energy.”

There’s also corporate synergy going on between the two events. In 2019, Art Wynwood and its sister fairs, which include the Miami Art Week fairs Context, Aqua, and Art Miami, as well as Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, were acquired by Informa, a London-based company that owns the boat show. The aim is to turn President’s Day weekend into a smaller, more intimate accompaniment to the more international, glamorous, and significantly busier Miami Art Week.

They’re being helped along in their efforts by a smattering of unaffiliated art events taking place the same weekend. Superfine, the smaller art fair which formerly took place in December, is camping out at Ice Palace Studios in downtown, while the artist’s book-focused Tropic Bound will set up shop in the Design District.

“The Heiress,” Sarah Fishbein Mosaics, at Superfine Art Fair. (Courtesy of Superfine Art Fair)

Navarro says the weekend will be especially nice for local art lovers fatigued by the intensity of the week surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach.

“We wanted to offer local collectors another opportunity to acquire art in Miami,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity for the city to go back into the market.”

While the fair is smaller doesn’t mean the art on display isn’t as high-caliber as Art Basel. Cernuda Arte, the venerable Coral Gables gallery focusing on the masters of Cuban Art, will be showing eleven works by Wifredo Lam, two of which have museum shows as part of their provenance.

Wilfredo Lam, “Untitled,” will be one of the works at Art Wynwood from Cernuda Arte. (Photo courtesy of Cernuda Arte)

“It’s a moment here in Miami where we receive many visitors,” says gallerist Ramon Cernuda, “and it’s a great opportunity to develop that other grouping of cultural and leisure activities that would support the participation of an international public.”

Of course, the fair isn’t just about blue-chip paintings. Alongside RISK’s piece at the entrance, the artist will be showing several “virtual reality graffiti prints,” which can be activated by using a smartphone.

Attilio Cianni, “blu,” will be at Liquid Art System’s booth at Art Wynwood. (Photo courtesy of Liquid Art System)

Hyperrealist works by Attilio Cianni and Peter Demetz will be the focus at Liquid Art System’s booth, while London-based HOFA Gallery will show cutting-edge kinetic and interactive art.

It seems clear that while some may come for the boats, they’ll stay for the art.

WHAT: Art Wynwood and Superfine Art Fair

 WHEN:  Art Wynwood: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 to 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19; Superfine: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19

 WHERE:  Art Wynwood: The Art Wynwood Pavilion, One Herald Plaza (Biscayne Bay & 14th St.), Miami; Superfine: Ice Palace Studios, 1400 N Miami Ave., Miami

 COST:  Art Wynwood: One-day general admission is $36.50 per person; a multi-day pass is $65 per person; Superfine: One-day general admission is $30 per person; multi-day pass is $40 per person.

 INFORMATION:  Art Wynwood: artwynwood.com ;Superfine: superfine.world

ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit source of dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news. Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a story.