Primary Flight during Art Basel - Miami part 1

I made it down to Miami this past week during the biggest art event in North America - art Basel Miami. It is huge because there are numerous art fairs happening simultaneously including Art Miami, Art Basel Miami, Scope, Fountain, NADA, Red, and others. For a week the areas of South Beach and the downtown Miami are transformed as hundreds of galleries, collectors, fans, and artists converge to make money and party. Yes you could purchase a $3 million Wifredo Lam painting if you were up to it or catch great art from all the well known artists from around the world including some of my favorites from fellow 12oz bloggers like Greg Lemarche, Haze, Os Gemeos, and Marc Bode.

On top of all that there was an event called Primary Flight that has been going on for the past 4 years that was just incredible. Incredible because in the midst of all the art openings that are inside - Primary Flight took over the walls on the outside. Through out the Wynwood/Downtown area there was over 100 walls painted by writers from all over the world during the course of the week. The excitement and energy visible was electrifying. At night when the parties raged, writers painted. They painted all day in the sun. The rocked some of the best work ever painted on walls. I don’t know exactly how many writers made it down to paint but I would guess at least 200. Some of the people I bumped into included writers and street artists like Pesimo, Jade, Ente 5 (Peru), Berst, Askew, Saves (New Zealand), Revok, Rime, Augor, Risk (Los Angeles), Dash, Mare 139, Wane, Enue, Ezo, Free5 (New York), Smash 137 (Switzerland), Shiro (Japan), Ema (Paris), Kid Acne (UK), Estria (Hawaii), Vogue (Oakland), Msix (Miami), Nunca (Brazil), Kems, Rath, Sever, Pose, Anthony Lister, Asylum, Chor Boogie, Kofie, Ewok, Haze,Vyal, The London Police, Mint, Abstrak, Dolla, Logan Hicks, Coco 144, Snake 1, Space, How, Nosm, Aiko, Terror 161, and so many more.

Never before has an event like this happened. Let’s hope it continues next year. It’s a much needed cultural exchange that doesn’t happen enough.

Here are some shots. enjoy. more to come….