Constant Companion and I, along with loads of other people, got a jump on Art Week by visiting local galleries on the weekend. We headed to the Design District on a balmy Saturday evening to see what there was to be seen. According to their own marketing, Miami’s Design district is “a creative neighborhood and shopping destination dedicated to innovative fashion, design, art, architecture, and dining.” You’ll have to judge this for yourself!

What first caught our eyes was the Hacker Project pop-up which featured a graffiti window display at the Balenciaga store. We did not explore further, however, to see the custom furnishings or other accoutrement inside.

The annual design commission winner is a combination physical and virtual installations, Tomorrow Land + Enjoy the Weather by Studio Proba, curated by Anava Projects.

Through qr codes, some text about this site-specific installation

Through qr codes, some text about this site-specific installation can be accessed. The so-called “playfully designed sculptures, seating, and ornamentation” found throughout the District were being enjoyed by many,

We had two destinations while wandering in the District and taking in other public art such as “Bus Stop with Skeleton” (2017), a nearby fountain by Swiss-born artist Urs Fischer, a pared-down re-creation of the iconic Miami Beach bus stops designed by Morris Lapidus, and the graceful arches of architect Daniel Toole’s “Jade Alley” (2017). Also nearby is the sculpture “Dollar a Gallon” (2019) by Virgil Abloh, the brilliant designer/artist/etc. who only recently passed away.

Also nearby is the sculpture “Dollar a Gallon” (2019) by Virgil Abloh, the brilliant designer/artist/etc. who only recently passed away.

Destination number one was Opera Gallery and their current exhibit, “Keith Haring, Art in Transit.” The entire ground floor of the gallery is taken over by the visual landscape of this artist representative of the New York Art Scene of the 1980s. On display are representative paintings, works on paper, and sculpture.

He came dressed to blend into the surroundings!

Internationally-based Goodman Gallery is presenting a month-long exhibition of bronze glyphs from William Kentridge’s ongoing Lexicon project. Included in the display bronze sculptures of various sizes representing the artist’s sculptural vocabulary and one ink drawing.

Day Two of the Countdown could not have asked for a more beautiful day. We were off for the monthly Sunday gallery Progressive Brunch. In a week promising to be saturated with art, only four of eleven galleries were on our list. These Sunday’s are perfect for getting acquainted with the work of many local artists. Truth be told, I was more intrigued by my surroundings.

In this case, I was attracted to the aesthetics of the garden more than the art on offer.

Or by the beautifully expressed sentiment outside one gallery.