Forest/Trees

Basel's Best : Show-stopping events from Miami's Art Basel

December 08, 2021

It would not quite do justice to say that Art Basel Miami Beach was a whirlwind. In its first year back in the 305 since 2019, the art festival, which has grown into an annual cultural phenomenon, took Miami by storm with a myriad of art galleries, fashion shows, concerts, and of course, opulent parties. With Basel-ers rushing frantically from one engagement to the next in their world-class looks and SUVs bottlenecking every last block of Miami Beach, it became increasingly paramount to block out the chaos and indulge in the good times.

office joined in on the fun and attended a sizable handful of events from the week down South. While all were meticulously planned and executed, a number of events stood out for their sheer commitment to embracing the Art Basel atmosphere to the maximum. office compiled a roundup of some of the most notable occasions of the week. These included an evening of disco with Gucci and Mickalene Thomas, a chill rooftop cocktail with Pandora hosted by Evan Mock, a look into the future of art and NFTs with The Heart Project, and of course, an unforgettable after-party by Moncler and Palm Angels that had crowds flooding at the door.

Text by Oona Oglesby and Deren Owji
Photos courtesy of BFA and Aidan Cullen

Gucci x Mickalene Thomas Book Signing and Party

To celebrate the release of Mickalene Thomas’ Monograph, Gucci teamed up with Thomas and Racquel Chevremont to throw one of the hottest parties of Miami Art Basel. Held upstairs from the Gucci Store in Miami’s arts district, Thomas’ work was displayed on massive screens, illuminating the front two rooms. Giant neon signs and hoards of disco balls ushered guests towards the dance floor. Lighting up the space in enchanting blues, pinks, and purples. DJ Kitty Ca$h made sure the music matched the tone, playing seductive while still danceable remixes of some classic 70’s favorites. Award-Winning chef Nina Compton provided guests with delicious little bites, perfect for refueling without missing a beat on the dance floor.

Pandora ME x Evan Mock

Evan Mock teamed up with Pandora to throw a fabulous, intimate gathering on the Gitano Miami rooftop. With a fantastic view of Collins Ave, guests danced the night away with groovy disco tunes and Tacos to keep the night going. Cabana-style seating surrounded by palm trees and other classic Miami vegetation transported those in attendance to what felt like, if you didn’t look off the top of the ceiling, to a private beachside party. Pandora set up a bracelet-making station where people could choose from three different bases, a unique linked clasp and a classic Pandora charm.

The Heart Project

The Heart Project teamed up with Doodles to host an interactive gallery and party this year for Art Basel. The Heart Project, founded by Aidan Cullen, has always been an NFT made for collaborations, an ideology that shone through in the collaborative nature of the gallery. By day, the whole gallery had digital art lining the walls and a beautiful balloon enclave in the back, which homed pieces of clothing with custom Doodles on them. An interactive QR code by the door allowed guests to bring to life their own AI Heart NFT. The gallery turned into a massive party venue at night, with performances by Gunna, Amine, ASAP Nast, and more.

Moncler x Palm Angels Hosted by Kid Cudi and Richie Akiva

Palm Angels and Moncler came together to celebrate their new collaboration and put on one of the hottest events of Art Basel Miami. Entergalactic was located at the Faena Forum, a large set of winding stairs led guests into the party where bright pink lights lit up the massive globe shaped room. Palm trees decorated the walls and the DJ booth which was situated right in the middle of all the madness. Hosts Kid Cudi and Rickie Akiva brought out the best of the best with DJ sets from Venus X, Zack Bia, and more.

Stone Island Presents ANNEX

Stone Island presented their short film ANNEX this past week at Art Basel. The experience was curated by Katja Horvat and Thibaut Grevet directed the accompanying film. ANNEX takes place on a motocross track, situated in the outskirts of Miami. Beginning with a private dinner, guests were able to take a first hadn’t look at the intricacies of the track and watch the motocross racers navigate their way through it. The film is a multifaceted work, both celebrating the event as well as letting the viewer in on Grevet’s feelings about the intersection between Motocross and art.

Art

Beware Witches: A Series by Kristina Shakht

December 07, 2021

New York based photographer and creative director, Kristina Shakht, has created yet another evocative series, premiering today with office. The series, entitled "Beware Witches," grapples with femininity and womanhood. Although, there are conversations between gender, masculinity and femininity, vulnerability and guardedness present in the almost haunting images. Her subjects are both exposed but shrouded, demure but confrontational. Not confrontational, but unapologetic. “Every shoot I curate is about trying to visually explain how I feel or how I would want to feel—which is not feminine or masculine but more something that goes beyond gender,” Kristina tells office.

The Saint-Petersburg born photographer was inspired stylistically by Slavic fairy tales, which she claims are very difficult to explain without understanding the entire culture. Stylist Sasha Hramova was able to reflect the vibe of this “raw” folklore, especially with details in the models’ hair and nails. The photo’s are eerie and maybe even a little bit “freaky,” in Kristina’s words, but without having any sense of real danger or horror. This reflects the way that many fairy tales often are a bit unnerving, yet intrelaiden with beauty and delicateness.

Text by Willa Rudolph
Photography by Kristina Shakht
Photo and lighting assistant: Erica Lin
Styling by Sasha Hramova
Stylist assistant: Nurgul Muratbekova
Models: Minami , Mecca, and Jude

Shakht puts a great a deal of emphasis on creating an intimate and calming environment on set. “Relating doesn’t mean knowing someone for a long time. You can meet a person and instantly find ways to relate, understand, and be seen. I’ve gotten pretty tired from imagery that objectifies women, so I just try to build genuine human connection with my subjects. In the end of the day, it’s art, we’re not curing cancer. There shouldn’t be only one way to do things. Being mean or ‘above all’ should be something from the past. People who think that their status matters more than their humanity and compassion shouldn’t be working in this industry. I feel like we as women are tired. That’s why I usually start with getting to know people who I’m shooting, figuring out what they are comfortable with so I won’t cross boundaries and [so that] they feel respected and heard.” Her sentiments are certainly reflected in the honesty and authenticity evident in her work.

What emotions do these photos elicit? Kristina leaves this up for you to decide. Though, she does specify these images are for femmes—“for us and about us.” She hopes to present a narrative she didn’t have as a little girl—something solely human that is beyond masculinity or femininity, something raw and mystical. Creamy light, gauzy veils, and dewy skin contrast with a constructed black leather dress, long, sharp nails, and piercing gazes. "Beware Witches" points to the ironic concept of a woman as a witch and the history of this trope, but is an attempt to reclaim the witch in a way where women and femmes can decide what it means and looks like.

Explore Kristina's vision below.

Art

Meet Me On Cloud 9

December 06, 2021

This past week, Miami was abuzz with art curators, celebrities, and multi-hyphenate creators who flocked to Miami Art Week with the intentions of immersing themselves in new worlds. Robin Velghe, a.k.a. Rhymezlikedimez, gave the people what they wanted by granting viewers an all-access pass into the universe that is his imagination, through his exhibition “Meet Me On Cloud 9.”

First we are brought to the inner workings of Velghe’s auditory cortex — the part of our brains that analyzes and interprets sounds and musical notes. To Velghe, this visceral experience of listening to music is one of the most profound human experiences we can have. He wanted to be able to share the importance of music to the world by adding a visual layer to it as well, through his illustrations.

Text by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos Courtesy of Revel Art Productions (Joshua McFarquhar)

Rhymez’ original animated character, Puff, breathes life through the intangible qualities of music. Throughout the exhibition, viewers watch as Puff skates through 8 different digital animations — he also takes on an even larger role through a life-size inflatable sculpture. Each of the animations are framed within surroundings and places that are not only culturally relevant, but that also had a profound impact on Rhymez’ life and upbringing.

“Puff lives in the Rhymez universe, a nostalgic world that grew from a bundle of all the things that inspired and shaped me, both culturally and visually. It’s a strongly curated place that represents the way that my inner kid would have imagined the world. That world is Rhymez. Puff is the protagonist in that realm, so in a way Puff's me,” explains Rhymez.

Not only is “Meet Me On Cloud 9” a look behind the glass of Rhymez’ mind, but it is also an ode to hip hop and the art of sampling — which seems fitting, as he has worked with the likes of Playboi Carti, Anderson Paak, and Lil Uzi Vert. So it was a no-brainer that he called upon Chad Hugo of N.E.R.D and The Neptunes to provide a musical backdrop for his multidimensional exhibition.

The eight animations are set to go live as NFTs December 7th on the OpenSea Platform. If you could not be there in person, take a dive into Rhymez’ mind through the photos and animation below.