Miami Nights

My friends are dicks. Every month I go through the same song-and-dance with them. They all say they want to do the Wynwood gallery walk and "mysteriously" mere hours before the event, they are longer interested. That's because if there isn't hard liquor involved, they aren't interested. I think it's time I get new friends who are interested in more cultural things.

Anyway, this Saturday I will be doing the walk, with or without them. I'm particularly pumped up for it after reading an article in today's Miami Herald regarding an exhibit titled Polymorph by Icelandic artist Magnus Arnason at Locust Projects. He does these grotesque sculptures that look like they came straight from an alien horror movie. What find refreshing from him, at least what I gather from the article, is that as an artist he doesn't seem to be so full of himself. I've met plenty of artist that think they are the next hot shit -- I find it hard not laugh in their face. You don't see me going around saying I'm the next Gabriel Garcia Marquez, even though I know I am (damn my ego).

People always tell me they keep away from the gallery walk because they feel intimidated because they tend to feel stupid when they don't "get it." There is nothing to get. Go out and enjoy yourself. Unless you vocally make it known that you have no idea what you are looking at, no one is going to know. If there has to be a 2nd Saturdays for beginners, I say stick to the the big four: Rubell Family Collection, CiFo, MOCA at Goldman Warehouse and Margulies Collection. They are a lot bigger than your average Wynwood gallery and the exhibitions tend to be more diverse and filled with "superstar" artists. Although, I highly encourage you to stop by any of the smaller galleries you see on the way. They tend to be hit or misses, but when you find that great gallery, you'll be throughly amused. My favorites tend to be the Dorsch Gallery, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin and Fredric Snitzer Gallery. But explore, exhibits are always changing and it's a fun thing to do.

[image via the Miami Herald]