From December 6 to December 8 (by-invitation private viewings on December 4 and December 5), Art Basel returns to Miami Beach for its 22nd year
Art Basel Miami Beach
It’s been an action-packed past few weeks, to say the least, but alas, December is upon us, and for anyone in Miami— or truly in the art world— it only means, Art Basel Miami Beach is here. From Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8 (by-invitation private viewings are held on Wednesday, December 4 and Thursday, December 5), the Miami Beach Convention Center will be home to 286 galleries, spanning 38 countries and territories, with a majority hailing from the Americas—from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru and Uruguay. This year will also see Romania and Indonesia represented for the first time. It is the first edition under the leadership of director Bridget Finn, which has seen the largest cohort of new exhibitors— 34— in over a decade; the rolling out a smaller booth option for galleries; and the re-location of Meridians— the show’s central sector dedicated to large scale projects that transcend the traditional art fair booth— to more fluidly connect the different sections on the show floor.
Here’s what to expect at the main fair’s sectors this year:
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Galleries, the fair’s main sector, where the world’s leading galleries present the highest quality paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photography, videos and digital works, will have 229 art dealers presenting works by 20th- century masters, contemporary blue-chip artists, mid-career practitioners and emerging talents. There are seven first-time participants this year.
First-time Galleries participant Tim Van Laere Gallery, with locations in Antwerp and Rome, will showcase Romanian-born, Berlin-based painter Adrian Ghenie’s “Study of A Head (2023″)”
Adrian Ghenie/ Tim Van Laere Gallery/ Art Basel Miami Beach
A resounding theme for this year are works that advocate for social change. São Paulo’s Galeria Vermelho Vermelho will present a selection of works by artists from their program, including Swiss-born, São Paulo-based photographer and activist Claudia Andujar, whose practice is dedicated to the Yanomami Indigenous peoples. A portion of profits from sales of the artist’s work will benefit Hutukara Associação Yanomami (HAY), an NGO in Brazil dedicated to the rights of Indigenous people.
Claudia Andujar/ Galeria Vermelho/ Art Basel Miami Beach
There are big changes for Meridians this year— the the show’s sector dedicated to projects that transcend the traditional art fair booth. Firstly, it will be curated for the first time this year by Puerto Rican-born, Berlin-based Yasmil Raymond, former director of Portikus, and rector of the Hochschule für Bildende Künste-Städelschule in Frankfurt, and previous curator of The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Raymond succeeds Magalí Arriola, who oversaw the sector since its introduction in 2019.
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Secondly, the sector will re-locate to the south end of the show floor, surrounding the Nova and Positions sectors, which are dedicated to emerging galleries and artists, to better anchor the contemporary art section of the fair.
Meridians will feature 17 projects this year, titled “State of Becoming,” which explore themes ranging from the unexpected contingencies of democracy to the growing anxiety of climate chane on a global scale.
“La Famille dans la Joyeuse Verdure (The Family in the Joyful Green)” is a large-scale embroidery hand-stitched over a four year period, 2015 to 2019, by Argentine artist collective Chiachio & Giannone, which pays tribute to the LGBTQ community and Indigenous Guarani culture.
Chiachio & Giannone/ Ruth Benzacar Galería de Arte/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Portia Munson’s “Bound Angel (2021)” installation is made from found figurines, lamps, candles, string, rope, extension cords and a wedding gown as a table cloth evoking a bound and faceless bride enveloped in discarded objects in the shape of female angels
Lance Brewer/ Portia Munson/ P·P·O·W, New York/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Nova is exclusive to Art Basel Miami Beach, and provides a platform for younger galleries to present work created within the last three years by up to three artists. There will be 21 presentations from 40 artists, including nine newcomers this year.
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Korean-born, Los Angeles-based Ken Gun Min’s “Revolution is love (Will you still love me tomorrow?)” is part of his series of works inspired by his experience as a queer Asian man and exemplifying his deeply personal approach to representing the public and private spaces inhabited by marginalized communities in Los Angeles and Seoul. For Min, these sites are complicated places of tragedy, resilience and celebration.
Ken Gun Min/ Nazarian Curcio/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Positions is dedicated to solo showcases of individual emerging artists— there are 15 this year, eight of which are first time participants— allowing collectors, museum professionals, curators, critics and enthusiasts the opportunity to dive deeper into their works
Guatemela-born Paula Nicho Cúmez references heritage and memory. The tableau draws connections between humans, the land, animals, and the spiritual world. Cúmez often paints natural landscapes peopled by female figures that sometimes become the mountains. The vibrant, traditional Maya patterns of their clothing also often become their skin, a nod to Cúmez’s memory of not being allowed to wear Indigenous clothing to school as a child. Her works challenge the history of colonialism and present-tense oppression.
Paula Nicho Cúmez/ Proyectos Ultravioleta/ Margo Porres/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Jesse Stecklow’s “From Ear to Ear and Back Again (2021)” is made from ear of corn, corn whisky (derived from corn), acetic acid (derived from corn alcohol), ear drops (containing acetic acid), air sampler data, silkscreen on paper.
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Jesse Stecklow and Sweetwater, Berlin/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Survey features projects created before the year 2000 that challenge the conventional art historical canon, with a focus on elevating little-known artistic practices. Many of the presentations shed light on overlooked women artists in the 20th century.
Bonnie Lucas, “Two Friends (1985).” The alternative Portland-based gallery ILY2, which operates out of a mall, highlights feminist art and artists. This year, the gallery will highlight American artist Bonnie Lucas, who spent decades hand-sewing abstract, low-relief assemblages from sewing tools and dollar- store items. These assemblages are at once girly, provocative, and kitschy – functioning as both critiques and celebrations of consumer goods and their relationship to femininity.
Mario Gallucci/ Bonnie Lucas/ ILY2/ Art Basel Miami Beach
Kabinett provides provides galleries tightly curated presentations displayed within their main booths.
A selection of lesser-known marble and bronze sculptures by Cuban-born, Puerto Rico based 98-year-old artist Zilia Sánchez a singular figure of Latin American Modernism and geometric abstraction, will be presented by Galerie Lelong & Co. (New York, Paris).
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Zilia Sánchez/ Galerie Lelong & Co./ Art Basel Miami Beach
The curtain is coming down on Hard Rock Cafe’s Bayside Marketplace location after more than three decades on the downtown waterfront.
The rock ’n’ roll themed restaurant will close its doors August 19 after its lease with the city came to an end and will not be renewed, the Hard Rock confirmed in an email to The Real Deal. A spokesperson for the Hard Rock did not immediately respond to why the lease was not renewed or disclose the square footage and seating capacity.
A spokesperson for the City of Miami-owned Bayside Marketplace said the space will be redeveloped for another concept. The next tenant was not disclosed.
New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation holds the ground lease for Bayside Marketplace. A representative for Ashkenazy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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In 2020, Ashkenazy filed an eviction lawsuit against the Hard Rock Cafe alleging over $300,000 in unpaid rent amid the pandemic. The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2022, court records show.
At the time, the lease required the restaurant to pay $500,000 in base rent annually plus a percentage of its sales, according to court records.
More than 100 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the closure, according to a WARN notice filed by the Hard Rock Cafe. The stand alone waterfront building includes a main dining room, mezzanine, patio areas and event spaces.
Founded in 1971, Hard Rock Cafe opened its Miami location in 1993. The restaurant is part of Hard Rock International, which has been owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida since its 2007 acquisition of the company and operates cafes, hotels, casinos and live entertainment venues worldwide, plus naming rights for the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium.
Bayside Marketplace was one of the hardest hit retail centers in South Florida during the pandemic. The Hooters there closed in 2021 and was taken over by sports bar Black Market Miami, the Miami Herald previously reported. Other retailers and restaurants that have closed include Sun & Sea Brazilian Bikinis, Bavaria Haus and Express, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2024.
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The waterfront retail and restaurant hub is heavily reliant on tourists. Margaritaville opened there in 2024, and popular fast-casual Mexican chain Coyo Taco opened this month. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Chili’s, Foot Locker and Victoria’s Secret are longtime tenants.
Downtown Miami’s retail market is showing signs of softening, according to Colliers. Retailers in the downtown submarket shed 44,430 square feet of space, and vacancy reached 6.3 percent. Developers remain bullish on the downtown core, with nearly 64,000 square feet of retail space under construction and asking rents averaging $52.50 per square foot.
The Miami Worldcenter has been a major recent driver of much of that retail development and leasing.
Total inventory square footage for the downtown area is more than 3.4 million square feet.
Read more
Bayside Marketplace sues to evict Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe and three other tenants
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Take a look at the new Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami
SkyRise Miami developer settles lawsuit with theme park company over $1M refund
Bayside Marketplace is planning another high-rise entertainment venue with a view
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A man is facing new charges connected to the fatal shooting of a teenager in 2019.
Warren Pollock, 25, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Rodney Hinds Jr.
According to police, surveillance video captured Pollock shooting into a car parked at the Shell gas station on the corner of Northwest 183rd Street and Eighth Avenue back on Saturday, October 26 of 2019 just before 1 a.m.
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Authorities said new evidence led detectives to Pollock, who was already in custody for an unrelated murder case.
He remains behind bars at the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail on no bond.
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David Dwork
David Dwork joined the WPLG Local 10 News team in August 2019. Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, David has covered South Florida sports since 2007.
It was the blockbuster deal of the NBA offseason: After years of will-he/won’t-he, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded to Miami.
It also feels like the first domino of what will be some other big moves — including possibly a Jaylen Brown bidding war and trade. At NBC, we’ve explained the Antetokounmpo trade, named its winners and losers, and broken down how it will impact fantasy teams. Still, the fallout from this trade just keeps coming. Here are some other notes and analysis surrounding Antetokounmpo’s move to Miami.
Jaylen Brown bidding war?
Boston tried to say, “We weren’t shopping Brown, it was only because this was Giannis Antetokounmpo.” Except a few years back, they said the same thing when Brown was rumored to be part of a trade offer for Kevin Durant. From Brown’s perspective, you don’t want to be the person in the relationship where your partner is always looking around for an upgrade.
Other teams are expecting Boston to make Brown available, and there could be a bidding war, something articulated well by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on the network’s “Get Up.”
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“What I expect to happenis a bidding war for Jaylen Brown. In the most recent days, teams have been preparing for this eventuality, that it wouldn’t be the Boston Celtics who won the Giannis sweepstakes and that there would be a Jaylen Brown market. And now we’re going to watch that. I think it’ll take time to play out.”
If Brown becomes available, look for Houston and Atlanta to be at the front of the line for him, with a number of other teams — Portland has said it’s interested — in the mix. The challenge will be matching his salary, which is $57.1 million next season and totals about $183 million over the next three years. Brown is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
Boston kept young players out
Why did Milwaukee ultimately choose the Miami offer over Boston? In part because, while Brown would have been the best individual player the Bucks could have gotten in return, they wanted more — specifically a young player like Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez, and Boston would not put them in the offer, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Boston’s final offer was Brown and two unprotected first-round picks. Milwaukee preferred Miami’s offer… or at least one key person did.
Bucks co-owner Haslam pushed for Miami trade
Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam also owns the NFL’s Cleveland Browns — a team that dealt with a trade demand from future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett. Then came the Antetokounmpo saga with the Bucks.
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That led Haslam to push for the “certainty” of the Miami offer because he didn’t want to see Brown come to Milwaukee and force his way out in a couple of years, something Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports reported right after the trade went down.
Report: Haslam a ‘driving force’ in Giannis trade
Mike Florio looks at Jimmy Haslam’s reported role in the blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and analyzes Haslam’s involvement as owner of the Cleveland Browns.
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That was a concern of others in the Milwaukee front office, reports Sam Amick and Eric Nehm at The Athletic, who add there had been signs in recent weeks that Brown didn’t really want to land in Milwaukee.
Herro happy
Brown may not have wanted to go to Milwaukee, but Tyler Herro — who is a Milwaukee native — is excited to go home in the trade, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Sources: Tyler Herro is thrilled about a fresh start and playing for his hometown team the Milwaukee Bucks. Herro always envisioned returning home at some point during his NBA career.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 23, 2026
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Except Herro may not be staying in Milwaukee—there are multiple reports that the Bucks are listening to offers to trade him again. At the front of that line may be Detroit, which is looking for shooting and secondary ball-handling to pair with Cade Cunningham, and Herro fits that bill.
Is Anthony Edwards next?
Once one superstar is traded, the insatiable NBA trade rumor machine starts looking for the next star who might be on the move.
Is it about to be Anthony Edwards’ turn in the spotlight? ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the latest Hoop Collective Podcast, “The NBA vultures are swirling around Ant in anticipation of him potentially becoming the next superstar who’s available in the trade market.” Multiple reports in recent years have said Edwards has been frustrated with the team building in Minnesota, dating back to when it traded away Karl-Anthony Towns to save money.
This is not happening fast. Minnesota has no intention of trading Edwards right now, and he still has three fully guaranteed years at $156.9 million left on this contract. There is no pressure to move him, and Edwards would deny he is even thinking about leaving.
That said, teams file these kinds of things away and just wait.
