Music returns to center stage at this week’s Art Basel Miami

Music has always had an important place alongside the 280 galleries that make up Art Basel Miami which starts today and runs thru Saturday, December 3rd. But in 2021, the beats were almost drowned out by a cacophony of crypto multi-millionaires and NFT launches.

This year, despite today’s forecast for an 80-degree high, crypto winter has descended on South Florida, too, leaving more room for music.

The Robot Heart Foundation offers a particularly intriguing art/music installation at the ELEMENTAL Compound. The immersive art exhibition will feature a Brandt Brauer Frick Art audiovisual installation entitled “Multi-Faith Prayer Room” with a musical performance by local Miami DJ Layla Benitez, as well as a nighttime performance by rising West African DJ and producer AMÉMÉ on Friday.

“Dance music culture has always served the purpose of bringing people together in almost a post-religious cathedral-type setting – the club. A very open space, open to freedom of expression. The idea for Multi-Faith Prayer Room came about when I was at Heathrow Airport in late 2020,” said Daniel Brandt. “I had always seen signs for Multi-Faith Prayer Rooms, but this time the term stuck with me. I wanted to create a physical space that brings people together, brings different opinions together, without judgment.”

Madonna & More

We’re not sure if there will be accompanying beats, but music icon Madonna‘s picture book SEX is being revisited this week 30 years on with a free pop-up exhibition in a bespoke pavilion at the beachfront of 17th Street. The once-controversial offering seems almost tame today, so the real excitement may center around trying to spot the Material Girl, who is reportedly in town all week.

There’s great music everywhere in Miami this weekend, but two more shows particularly caught our eye. French DJ Madeon will take over at the ELEMENTAL Compound on Saturday night, and before that R&BASEL, described as “The Biggest R&B Party To Hit ART BASEL MIAMI,” happens on Friday night at exchange Miami.