Last year was the first for Miami Project, a fair held in the Wynwood area of Miami. It was a fair well-worth attending; it was not over-large and seemed to have had galleries chosen with some care. I recommended that anyone in the area take some time to look through.

This year, looking at their events and gallery list (which you can do HERE) they seem to be upping the ante. Last year this was a fair that was all about NOW. If I recall the galleries at Miami Project 2012 were showing contemporary artists rather than artists of days past (many of the fairs do). They leaned more toward the currently collectible rather than the-maybe-someday-will-be-collectible.

Galleries we often write about such as Brian Gross Fine Art (checkout interview with their artist Teo Gonzalez), David B. Smith Gallery, ZieherSmith and Yossi Milo Gallery will all have booths at Miami Project. More interviews soon!

Perrier-Jouët commissioned Dutch artist, Simon Heijdens, to create  Phare No . 1-9, at Design Miami. The piece blends art, design, craft using innovative techniques in a 21st Century revisiting of Art Noveau.

Perrier-Jouët, in addition to creating something I don’t mind drinking, have been involved in collaborations with artists since 1902. Emile Gallé created the iconic anemone of its Belle Époque cuvee in that year.

Ever since the company has worked with talented designers and curated projects.

Aqua Miami--now presented by Art Miami--takes place at the Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. 

Aqua Miami has been around since 2005 at the hotel of the same name. This year 47 different exhibitors will be on hand. Innovative galleries and multimedia programs join hands here to bridge the gap between fine art and entertainment via music meet art installations.

One of these, Sound Vision, presented by NYC's Lyons Wier Gallery and Audiophile plus is a curated program of recording artists and DJs juxtaposed against artists shown by Lyons Wier.

And that is just one example of the art and events that await at Aqua. Find out more at WWW.AQUAARTMIAMI.COM.

Among the exhibitions that, at the very least, get into the ballpark of "must see" is the Rubell Family Collection's 28 Chinese. The exhibit opens December 4, 2013 and runs through August 1, 2014 at Rubell Family Collection, 95 NW 29th Street, Miami. The official opening is Thursday, December 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. The collection is the result of five research trips the Rubells made to China over a ten year period. They visited over a hundred artist studios. Many of these artists, but not all, are exhibiting in the USA for the first time.

There are artists working with different media and in many styles. There is no specific theme.

"This exhibition, 28 Chinese, embraces the power of the individual voice without attempting to force a theme." says Mera Rubell.

Among the well-known artists in the exhibit are Zhang Huan and Ai Weiwei. In a sense they were the impetus for further visits by the Rubells to China.

"From the time that we went to China in 2001 with the artist Zhang Huan, it was a place that intrigued us. Then, we collected Ai Weiwei. Three years ago we decided to revisit it and check out a new generation of artists that were emerging." says Rubell.

You can order the 256 page catalog HERE.

2013 also sees the return of Jennifer Rubell's breakfast installation at Art Basel Miami beach. llycaffè is to be the official sponsor of the installation entitled, Faith. The installation consists of a 48 foot white plinth balanced above the ground and covered with a grid of 1,573 Chinese egg tarts. Even better folks on hand can EAT these little bits of delicious art.

For those who are not often in Beijing or Lucerne, but who do make it to Art Basel in Miami Beach, Galerie Urs Meile will be part of the fair.

The gallery will present works by both established and emerging artists. Their artists come from both East and West. Artists include; Ai Weiwei, Hu Qingyan, Cheng Ran, Christian Schoeler, Li Gang, Qiu Shihua, Julia Steiner, Shao Fan, Anatoly Shuravlev, Wang Xingwei, Xie Nanxing and Yan Xing.

They will be at booth A17.

Ink Miami Art Fair, held in Miami Beach from December 4 to 8, 2013, at the Dorchester,1850 Collins Ave. and 19th St., is a relatively small but still a must-see for folks heading to Art Week in Miami. I am likely to use the phrase "must see" a great deal when previewing Art Week fairs but I will also try to point out WHO must see a given fair.

In the case of Ink, those who are interested in prints and works on paper are sure to find something to their liking. Ink Miami is also a fairly small fair that you can go through  in short order (I often go after visiting Art Basel since it is close by).

Ink participants show works by the well-known and lauded--Louise Bourgeois, Robert Motherwell and many others--but there are also galleries showing work by young artists and lesser known artists. There are prices ranging from "cheap" to "that costs more than my new car."  Among the notable participants are Tandem Press (University of Wisconsin) and the University of South Florida's Graphicstudio. See more on Graphicstudio  at Ink Miami 2012 HERE.

Raili Tang, Katja Tukiainen and Adam Saks solo shows open November 21, 2013 at Galerie Forsblom (Lönnrotinkatu 5  00100 Helsinki). There will be an opening reception with the artists 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, November 21.

Tang's The Power of the Flower includes new oil paintings captureing sensations difficult to capture in figurative art or speech. The style is expressionist, emotional, colorful and large with bold brush strokes

Tukiainen's Beautiful World contrasts the grievances and joys of life be they unfamiliar or known. The artist uses paintings and sculptures. The sculptures are of feminine figures and the paintings emphasize place.

Saks' Flora Empire shows the artists graphic side (normally he paints colorful oil and acrylic). The work here are drypoint and aquatine etchings (plus one lithograph). The artist drills and hammers copper plates to give the pieces roughness but also uses gentle lines to add a bit of poetry.
       

Beneath the Surface, new works by Nicholas Hall, Zach Horn, Tom Snelgrove and Daisuke Tsuchigahata  runs November 21, 2013 to January 2, 2014 at Rare Gallery (547 W. 27th St, #514, New York). There will be an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, November 21.
      
Each artist uses distinct media in their work but each provides a "seductive, luxurious surfaces that belie the underlying social and philosophical content of their work." I confess I am not sure what that means. But it sure sounds cool.

Ruinart Champagne is one of a number of companies sponsporing exhibits and installations during Art Week in Miami. Theirs is by designer Piet Hein Eek and celebrates the company's partnership with Art Basel, December 5 to 8, 2013. Ruinart will also showcase limited edtion champagne boxes. Both will be on display at Art Basel Miami Beach.

In the 18th century champagne was apparently shipped in baskets. Ruinart broke with this tradition and switched to boxes in the latter part of the century. Eek creates individual storage cases fit to the shape of a Ruinart Blanc de Blancs bottle. Each is indivually created, signed and numbered. The work is meticulous down to the wood and laquers chosen. Thes boxes will be shown next to the installaton, an arch full of Ruinart bottles.

Eek, from Holland, is a designer with a focus on the use of wood. He  has been worked in the medium for over 20 years. He is a graduate of the Design Academy in Eindhoven and is known mainly for sustainable furniture designs. He also creates lights and accessories.

These champagne boxes will be on sale at Knightsbridge and Plum Market.

I need to stop writing about this. It is making me want to drink Ruinart Champagne, which I cannot currently afford. It is also 9 a.m.

Annie Lapin, John Lehr, Alon Levin, Philip Vanderhyden, a group exhibition, opens November 16, 2013 at Andrew Rafacz (835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago). There will be a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, November 16, 2013. The exhibit includes painting, photography, and installation in Gallery One.

Apparently all the artists here are concerned "with the relationship between immediacy and indeterminacy of materials, image, and surface"