Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami And Sponsors Deliver For Audience
Posted: 12/8/2009 3:37:50 PM by
Lesa Ukman | with 0 comments
Although Audi was not the primary sponsor of either Art Basel Miami Beach or its sister event, Design Miami—roles that belong to UBS and HSBC Private Wealth respectively—it was the most ubiquitous.
Eschewing auto shows in favor of the Miami events for the unveiling of its 2010 A8, Audi of America spent north of $6 million but south of $10 million building out its presence.
The automaker, which has increased its marketing budget by 20 percent this year to seize share from its more distressed competitors in the luxury car segment, did not merely sponsor the Miami happenings. Instead, Audi took on the roles of cultural creator and arts curator. For example, in addition to providing the vehicles for the shuttle service for VIPs attending the events, Audi:
- Created the Audi Pavilion, a five-story, 42,000-square-foot temporary complex that included a 1,000-seat auditorium, underground kitchen, stage and art gallery
- Built the Audi Lounge at Design Miami where the new A8 was introduced as a miniature collectible on a coffee table, surrounded by supersized furniture, as you can see in the accompanying image below
- Commissioned original installations for the Audi Pavilion and Lounge
- Partnered with Design Miami to develop the exhibit’s curative concept, The Art of Progress
The Audi Pavilion, a temporary museum connected to Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami
Supporting my earlier observation that despite the economy live events are flourishing, ticket sales ($50 for a two-day pass) were as high as ever, with more than 40,000 collectors, curators, tastemakers, gallerists, fashionistas, scenesters, style cognoscenti, artists and VIPs in attendance
UBS—presenting sponsor of Switzerland’s Art Basel since 1994 and of the Miami edition since its launch seven years ago—did not build its usual carpeted tent on the sands of South Beach. But, the bank’s VIP lounge for collectors was back this year.
And longtime sponsors Cartier and NetJets co-hosted the annual Collector’s Cocktail Party attended by many of the 850 NetJet owners who flew in for the weekend.
Like Audi, Cartier’s strategy is less about buying sponsorship inventory than it is about receiving credit for injecting curatorial values into its sponsorship. For example, Cartier commissioned Italian architect Alessandro Mendini to create a jeweled art column for its VIP Lounge which was designed by Alessandro Mendini Ateliers. Other works on display in the lounge included the Cartier-commissioned Jeweled Triangle Lamp from David Lynch.
In IEG’s Official 1984-1985 International Directory of Special Events & Festivals—the first edition of what is now the annual IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook—we defined a festival as “presenting the entire gamut of talent under its heading” and differentiated it from a standard exhibit or concert by among other things the “rare juxtapositions of talent brought together.” By this definition, ABMB/Design Miami are indeed festivals—places for cultural experiences—and not just places of trade.
In addition to works for sale by more than 265 galleries, ABMB and Design Miami also included curated exhibitions, book launches, performances, film and conversations.
Local museums, restaurants, fashion-forward retailers and manufacturers all contribute to the art/design zeitgeist with related programming, exhibits, menus, merchandise and events. For example, Fendi, which had a pop-up store in the design district during the fairs, brought in graffiti artist Andre who drew needlepoint canvases which were sold with thread for do-it-yourself purses ($1,495). Cappellini showcased limited editions by designers and one-off reworkings of tables and chairs. And shoe designer Christian Louboutin—whose talk we attended at Design Miami—commissioned artist Madeleine Berkhemer to create an installation incorporating his shoes for the entryway of his new store in the design district.
The two fairs have also inspired a sprawling circuit of satellite fairs. When Art Basel first touched down in Miami in 2002 only one other art fair set up shop nearby. This year there were 20 concurrent fairs including Art Miami, NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance’s fair), Pulse, Scope, Red Dot Art Fair, Verge, Aqua Art Miami, Ink Miami, Pool and the Fountain Art Fair.
One final note of interest: Messe Schweiz, the Swiss company that owns Art Basel, ABMB and Design Miami, has secured the contract to manage the Miami Beach Convention Center, host site of ABMB. Messe Schweiz already manages centers in Basel (where Art Basel is held) and Zurich.
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Filed under: arts, automotive, events, fashion, festivals, financial services, retail, activation