It’s no secret that Miami is a hub for vibrant culture and art. Each year, world-renowned creatives, collectors, and art enthusiasts gather from around the world to immerse themselves in an artistic playground of imagination and talent. While the Miami Convention Center will host the annual Art Basel event, art is abounding across the 305.
As you hit the town to take in all that Art Basel has to offer, be sure to stop by Aventura Mall to take in museum-caliber pieces. The Arts Aventura Mall Collection, our prized art selection of more than 20 pieces from around the globe, is teeming with masterpieces. Where else can you shop, dine and experience the work of world-renowned artists under one roof?
Get acquainted with some of the incredible artists in our collection, including a special collaboration featuring the indelible late Virgil Abloh:
You might recognize “LOVE,” the iconic Robert Indiana piece that has popped up in cities across the country. As a leading artist during the vibrant pop art movement, Indiana made a name for himself through his use of bold colors. Believe it or not, LOVE didn’t start out as the Instagram-worthy sculpture it is today. Indiana originally designed the LOVE motif for the Museum of Modern Art’s 1965 Christmas card. The praised print was later adapted into a sculpture and emblazoned on stamps for United States Postal Service in the early 1970s. Spot this historic sculpture in the Upper Level near Tap 42 Kitchen + Bar.
Carsten Höller’s mammoth creations have put him on the art world’s map. One of the most captivating elements of the Belgian artist is his knack for applying science and physics into his gargantuan works. Höller, a scientist-turned-artist, is the brilliant mind behind the “Aventura Slide Tower.” At nearly 93 feet tall, the sky-high design is more than a sculpture. When you aren’t admiring the towering creation, you can climb the stairs and plunge – or even race a friend – down the slide. Höller is a master at pairing art with excitement, and the Aventura Slide Tower is one of his greatest examples yet.
Brotherly love can produce Basel-level beauty. Crafted by twin brothers and artistic duo Nikolai and Simon Haas, the “Gorillas in the Mist” fountain doubles as an interactive playground for family fun. The whimsical sculpture is comprised of three gorillas and four tall trees. Blending
the peacefulness and playfulness of nature, the artists created the statue to signify “the roles that certain people can play: a partner, a good friend, and a child.”
Embrace a magical world of smiling mountains, winding rivers, and cheerful clouds found at the “Rainbow Valley” playground. The dream-like setting is a peek into the minds of artists Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, known collectively as FriendsWithYou. More than just a playground, Rainbow Valley represents a story of friendship and adventure: the journey begins when Peeko, a baby mountain, loses his family and embarks on a mission to find small mountains to befriend. Peeko soon meets Cloudy, his cumulus new pal, as they explore Rainbow Valley together. Take your family to meet the lovable Peeko and learn a sweet lesson in friendship.
Jaume Plensa is quite the conversation starter, literally. As you stroll through the mall, be sure to visit the Lower Level to see Plensa’s work up close. Born in Barcelona, the Spanish artist is known for his recognizable seated figures, shaped from letters and symbols. In “Florida’s Soul,” letters created from stainless steel form the “universal man.” Seated upon a rock, the man reflects upon the world around him and welcomes viewers to do the same. What better place to reflect on a week of Art Basel’s many creations than alongside a work centered on introspection?
Louise Bourgeois led an illustrious career between 1930 to 2010. A trailblazer in her time, the French-American sculptor was the first woman artist to be given a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. We’re lucky enough to be home to one of Bourgeois’s magnificent pieces: Bourgeois’s “Eye Benches” will undoubtedly pique your creativity and awareness.
The artist once said, “Whether it is an eye that sees the reality of things or whether it is an eye that sees a world of fantasy…It is the quality of your eyes and the strength of your eyes that are expressed here. Nobody is going to keep me from seeing what is instead of what I would like.”
Bonus: The Eye Benches also function as working benches to sit on, as well as a stellar photo location!
Fans of Andy Warhol can pay homage to the art icon at Rob Pruitt’s sculpture, “The Andy Monument.” The chrome monolith, located on the Upper Level of Center Court, was inspired by the life and work of Warhol. Standing seven feet tall, Pruitt created the piece using the combination of digital scanning of a live model and hand sculpting.
The Andy Monument was first created to stand in Union Square, the former home of the Warhol Factory. Pruitt, like many contemporary artists, identifies with Warhol’s life and looks up to his prolific career. “Like so many other artists and performers and people who don’t fit in because they’re gay or otherwise different, Andy moved here to become who he was, to fulfill his dreams and make it big,” said Pruitt in a story for The Public Art Fund. “He still represents that courage and that possibility. That’s why I came to New York, and that’s what my Andy Monument is about.”
Miami-based artist Daniel Arsham has become a globally recognized name in the most prestige artistic circles. Known for his architectural skill, Arsham masterfully turns everyday experiences and materials into thought-provoking pieces. In his site-specific commission, “Columns,” broken columns that replicate the mall’s architecture appear to grow and erode simultaneously.
Arsham has said his work “takes the everyday, the overlooked and used forms of our collective experience into consideration. Whether co-opting architecture, film or sound, my work provides the possibility of having a fantasy within the structure of what we have been provided.”
A piece that’s now even more special, as the art and design worlds remember the life of Virgil Abloh, “ARROWS AND FLOWER” is a collaborative work by Abloh, Louis Vuitton Men’s late
artistic director, and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Originally exhibited in TECHNICOLOR 2 at Gagosian Paris, the 2018 work is located on the Upper Level and features Murakami’s iconic, smiling flower motif, emerged with Abloh’s signature four-point arrow logo. The fusion of each artists’ trademark iconography signals two worlds coming together.
Admired around the globe for his talent, drive and impact, Abloh’s recent words about his piece speak to his heart and, now, his legacy: “I like that collaborating is evidence of being human. This is what happens when you join two people that are similar but very different. Our works of art are born from that dialogue.”
Added Takashi Murakami, “We want to see the newest things. That is because we want to see the future, even if only momentarily. That is what we have come to call art.”
As you explore the Arts Aventura Mall collection’s mélange of masterpieces, we encourage you to take photos and show us your favorite works by tagging @AventuraMall and #AventuraMall.
