Amongst all the posturing and partying that takes place at an infamous institution like Art Basel, events like the sixth annual Basel House stay focused on the genuine passion for art that lies at the heart of it all. This year’s free event featured a 40,000-square foot mural festival that hosted fifty muralists from around the world in Miami’s Wynwood Art’s District, “centered around the iconic RC Cola Plant [and] curated by Pedro Amos of Miami’s Best Graffiti Guide and Stephanie Kassoy of Nekto Collective,” according to a press release by the organization. Montana Colors and Akzonobel sponsored the live painting projects.
Austrian-born artist Nychos completed a fantastical mural that plays upon the cartoon universe he typically crafts in his work, inspired by the animations he enjoyed throughout his childhood. Aptly tailored to its oceanside setting, this work depicts a duo of haunting mermaids and their pet eels. One mermaid-eel pair is shown with skeletons completely visible, while tissues in the others’ anatomies are made visible. These touches remain in line with the artist’s recent evolution, and emphasize the overarching punk rock atmosphere of his Rabbit Eye Movement. The mermaids’ hair swirls into one majestic match, building a sense of synchronicity in this dynamic piece.
Portuguese artist and illustrator Add Fuel created a colorful collage of varying, cheerful textures for the occasion. His biography states that in 2008 he became “fascinated with the aesthetic possibilities of symmetrical patterning and tessellations,” and devoted his work to “reinterpreting the language of traditional tile design, and that of the Portuguese tin-glazed ceramic azulejo in particular.” This mural superimposes tiles, 80s style grids and vector fields, separated by desultory borders mimicking tears in a piece of paper. The mural aptly summarizes how “his practice expresses a sophisticated dialogue between the old and the new, between heritage and modernity.” Disparate segments reach a beautiful harmony here, testifying to his work’s “impressive complexity and masterful attention to detail.”
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Don Rimx moved to Brooklyn in 2009, where he rapidly established a renowned reputation for his art, whose “individual style bridged the gap between the streets and corporate America.” He relocated to Florida in the summer of 2014, as “the warm climate and Latino culture really attracted the artist, making him feel a little closer to home.” With his mural for Basel House, Rimx calls back to his Puerto Rican childhood. The mural combines a melange of imagery relating to life on the island alongside its name. Palm fronds bear a sense of symbolic double entendre, signifying not only his childhood home, but also his current residence, the home of this piece.
Xylene Projects’ biography states that they are “a creative force. a crew of artists that specialize in murals, illustration and design.” Together, they “create exciting and engaging work for a wide range of clients, with an emphasis on high standards of craft and execution.” Xylene’s mural for Basel House exemplifies their eye for precision, combining illustration with typically
spontaneous graffiti elements in a manner so perfect it’s almost intimidating. Disembodied facial features coalesce within this work’s composition to become one rich, visually compelling whole. Their black and white color scheme adds drama to the mural’s futuristic teals and lilacs.
As an ”international visual artist based in Montreal,” Mateo Wall Painter’s personal statement explains that he “questions the perception of the world which surrounds us and the impact of the traditional on our western societies.” Elements of these dichotomous inspirations can be found in his contribution to Basel House, aiding in his quest “to reconnect with fundamental inspirations, a bridge to our deep origins as well as a romanticism erased in our contemporary society.” A contemporary beautiful woman gazes down towards a sword of antiquity. Her rich cloak and ornamental jewelry appear to hail from an ambiguous era, beautiful regardless of the time they’re from. With this piece, Mateo once again uses “traditional patterns,
ornaments, travel relics, symbols, and forgotten images [as] the raw material of a personal composition, a monologue of the soul, in search of timeless knowledge.”
Throughout the rest of the Basel House festivities, activations by corporate sponsors supporting Basel House found unique ways to engage attendees even further with the arts, hosting Miami-based icons like Adrian Avila, Aquarela, Atomik, Claudia Bianca, Diana Conteras, GG Artwork, Golden, Jenny Perez, Kazilla, Luis Valle at the Wynwood Art Walk Block Party.
Basel House is organized and facilitated by SWARM, an event production company in Miami that “is shaping the cultural landscape of the city, through its proprietary events encompassing, culinary, craft beer and cocktails.” SWARM is the creator of Wynwood Life, an art festival “noted as the first large event of its kind in Wynwood,” amongst numerous other events that keep the city moving and grooving. With Basel House 2018, the company has successfully created “the only location where eclectic music, innovative unique vendors, and new-age art installations from across the globe come together to create an unparalleled experience.”
