Back to Articles

EliteLyfe & Punk Me Tender at the 2021 Art Basel

Niko Contardi & Punk Me Tender at Art Basel Miami Beach 2021

 

The private planes are arriving at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport as art patrons from around the world seek to discover modern classics and the new generation of emerging stars in the contemporary art world.

After being cancelled last year, Art Basel Miami Beach is back with some of the Earth’s most striking and provocative works of contemporary and modern art. The Miami Beach Convention Center continues to host the highly prestigious event since its inception in 2002, and today, the spectacle is bigger and more impressive than ever before.

Over 250 renowned and upcoming artists from international galleries in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Brussels, Taipei, and Milan are exhibiting their work from November 29th to December 5th. The exhibition spreads over hundreds of booths in several themed sectors, with everything from photography, prints, and paintings, to sculptures, digital works, films and monumental installations. 

EliteLyfe is excited to announce that we will be attending Art Basel Miami Beach and partnering with one particularly impactful modern artist, Punk Me Tender (1982). The event is sure to be a roaring success against a backdrop of other art exhibitions, cultural activities, and cocktail parties in South Beach and the Design District.

Here’s our essential guide to some of the most noteworthy galleries and artists that are not to be missed at Art Basel Miami Beach.


Masterworks from Acquavella Galleries

The famous New York Acquavella Galleries will be present at Art Basel Miami Beach with some of the most prestigious masterworks from artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Condo, Keith Haring, Willem de Kooning, and Wayne Thiebaud. 

 

The gallery specialises in 19th, 20th, and 21st-century art, particularly the masters of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism. For over 100 years, it has sold major paintings and sculptures to private collectors and museums worldwide. Visit their stand in Art Basel Miami Beach’s main sector. 

Tim Bengel’s Who Wants to Live Forever? 

Known for his hyper-detailed gold-leaf embellished sand paintings and the monumental public artwork ‘Flower Skull Cemetery’ (2019) displayed by the Berlin Wall, Tim Bengel is a social media sensation and one of the most exciting young contemporary artists out of Germany.

At Art Basel Miami Beach, his works on display include an avocado toast sculpture cast in more than 26 pounds of pure gold. Modelled on a real avocado bagel, the artwork consists of twenty-seven individual golden parts and can be seen at booth #AM 210, Galerie Rother, and purchased for an asking price of roughly $3 million.


 


 

 

Raw Expression from Punk Me Tender

Born in France in 1982, the mysterious artist Punk Me Tender is known for his graphic, raw form of expression. Beginning as a promising street artist in LA, he left his mark with some of the city’s most impressive murals. Today, the rising star explores mixed mediums including graffiti art and photography to produce striking statements on modern culture and fashion.

His current three-dimensional works draw inspiration from women, style, and desire—one of the biggest drivers of the human soul. In an attempt to break down stereotypes and open people's perspectives, the artist's work offers a sense of empowered female sexuality and freedom. He will be there showcasing his latest work with the CEO of EliteLyfe Niko Contardi at booth C10.

 

The Ambitious Meridians Sector 

Meridians is a curated sector at Art Basel Miami Beach that goes beyond the limits of the conventional art fair. The fixed event presents large-scale sculptures and paintings, installations, film, video projections, and live performances in the Grand Ballroom. 

Curated by the director of Museo Tamayo in Mexico City, the sector has a strong focus on works from the Americas and includes over thirty projects from artists such as John M. Arm leader, Sam Francis, Isaac Julien, Tina Girouard, and Adam Pendleton.


 


 

NFTs & Classic Art from Pace Gallery 

The leading international Pace Gallery is on display in the main exhibition hall, representing some of the most influential contemporary artists from the past century. 

The gallery has a strong focus on digital technologies, among them light, sound, video, and software, including several NFTs following the launch of its dedicated NFT platform. Major works from artists such as Beatriz Milhazes, Maya Lin, Jules de Balincourt, Wifredo Lam, and William Monk will also be on show. 

Towering Artwork at Miami Mural Festival 

Over the same dates, the Miami Mural Festival is taking over Flagler Street to display 500,000 square feet of new murals with no admission fee. 

The initiative provides a platform for local and international street artists and will showcase a series of large-scale experiential digital art exhibitions, as well as fifteen live murals which are being painted throughout the week. 

Don't miss the twenty-four-foot-tall NFT art exhibition space by ArtRepublic, featuring 100 artists’ works projected on the facades of Flagler District buildings in an interactive nighttime visual experience.

 

Join us at Art Basel Miami Beach 2021!

 

If you haven't done so yet, you can purchase your ticket by visiting the Art Basel Miami Beach 2021 website. Here you can also find the floorplan and event calendar which is packed full of exhibitions, openings, guided tours, studio visits, and talks taking place during the show. 

For exclusive access to fashion designers’ after-parties, late-night parties at clubs, hotels, restaurants, and yacht performances, contact our specialist and locally-based luxury travel team.

Our CEO Niko Contardi and artist Punk Me Tender look forward to welcoming you to the Art Basel 2021 show in Miami Beach!

Further practical information about Art Basel Miami Beach, including opening hours, guided tours, COVID regulations, visiting with kids, and restaurant options can also be found on their website.