In the Air: Playing "I Spy" at Art Basel

Dec. 8, MIAMI—Saturday night served up a set of of swanky soirees for somewhat spent fairgoers. Artforum partnered with the Wolfsonian-FIU, drawing a crowd outside the museum that wrapped around the block. Inside, revelers squeezed into several small party spaces (including a media room with slides of the permanent collection on repeat). The exhibition rooms upstairs were also open to visitors, who took in the Wolfsonian's eccentric collection of decorative arts while sipping champagne from miniature bottles. One of Art Basel's new honchos, Marc Speigler, director of strategy and development, was in attendance and already exercising his stage presence, working the crowd in a bright white suit.

Later in the night, Assouline celebrated its latest book, Worth of Art (2), at the Raleigh's penthouse suite. Getting in meant elbowing through a large crowd and handling a humid ground level; the upstairs was a relief, with its expansive view of the beach front, strong winds, and ginger-infused mojitos (thanks to co-sponsor Canton, a cognac-based liqueur). A DJ playing dance oldies managed to stir up the crowds at the (almost) end of their very busy week.

Dec. 8, MIAMI—The Sagamore hosted its annual Art Basel brunch on Saturday morning, quite an early hour to digest a recent work from nude-aholic artist Spencer Tunick, whose showcased piece featured some 500 Miami residents posing in the buff at the hotel pool on bright pink and green plastic floats. The event, hosted by collectors Cricket and Martin Taplin, Martin Z. Margulies, and Constance Collins, as well as several museums (the Bass Museum of Art, Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Wolfsonian) was a decadent start to the day, with mimosas flowing and crêpe bars dishing out delicious concoctions while a video of Tunick's installation played on monitors along the wall. Guests lounged around the pool, with some helping themselves to the free foot massages on offer. In the lobby, additional work was on display, including a steel and fluorescent light swing by Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Horbelt and a wall of photographs by Elliott Erwitt.

Dec. 7, MIAMI—Friday night saw a rash of big parties for art lovers, and the biggest just might have been the launch of Visionaire magazine's latest inventive issue—a package that includes five vinyl records with contributions from David Byrne and Christian Marclay, among others. The publication celebrated in the brand-new, Lenny Kravitz-designed Florida Room in the Delano's basement. The dark, speakeasy-style lounge, crammed with mirrored ceilings and Swarovski crystal chandeliers, brought out the crowds in full force. Promised special guest Linda Evangelista was nowhere to be seen, but artist Kehinde Wiley was in tow for eager photographers.

Dec. 6, MIAMI—Stick 'em up! At Pulse and Geisai's private preview Tuesday, Texan Lance Armstrong was naturally drawn to a giant cowboy figurine. 

Dec. 6, MIAMI—Celeb sightings at the first official day of ABMB: Art world regular Dennis Hopper strolling near the Louise Blouin Media booth with New York dealer Tony Shafrazi, and Steve Martin smiling patiently at a fawning fan.

Dec. 6, MIAMI—Everyday outside the fair, people distributing fliers are trying harder and harder to be noticed. Today's example? The men dressed in Ancient Roman getup, to promote Roma, a new fair opening February 28.

Dec. 6, MIAMI—The Miami Beach Botanical Garden, a stone's throw from the Convention Center, is welcome relief for VIPs in need of a break from the madness. Now the garden's become even more of a sanctuary: Cartier has erected a Jean Nouvel-designed "Cartier Dome." Inside a large birch tree and a ring of display cases with diamonds galore sit in a blue-swathed room. It's the perfect place to stop for a glass of champagne, a few chocolates, and a dash of class.

Dec. 6, MIAMI—Shuttles were clogging up the road outside of ABMB, waiting to take artgoers to the satellite fairs. But Scope had them all beat: the fair had arranged for luxury buses to transport travelers, and everyone on board was offered a cocktail and gift bag during the short ride to Wynwood.