Miami: see art and gastronomy itinerary in the city – 08/03/2023 – Tourism

A possible choice of Miami as a tourist destination is linked to its potent ability to alter the senses without having to resort to any type of drink or deeper meditation.

Perhaps because there is in the imagination the idea of ​​a different tropical paradise, in which pleasures have always been related to consumption experiences.

Today much more cosmopolitan than that city painted by the art deco scene of “Miami Vice” in the 1980s, the new Miami has been reinventing itself since the early 2000s, when it received the renowned Art Basel.

The influence of art on urban renewal can be seen in three neighborhoods north of downtown: Wynwood, Allapatta and the Design District, which bring together galleries, museums and installations that occupy spaces previously considered unattractive.

For many, walking the streets of Wynwood can be compared to getting lost in the halls of a museum. There is not a wall without artistic interference. Bright graffiti and colorful collages took over the facades of old warehouses, office buildings and even public offices, giving rise to an open-air gallery — a world reference.

Among the works on the streets or inside the block restricted to paying guests (the Wynwood Walls center charges US$ 12 for access), there is a strong appeal for social issues, especially the dramas that affected the neighborhood itself before the real estate appreciation —Wynwood it was home to Puerto Rican immigrants who until the mid-2000s suffered from xenophobia and gang extortion.

Half an hour away are the museums of Allapatta. Superblue ($36) is the newest of them, opening in May 2021. The institution calls itself an “experimental art center for giant works.”

The 5,000 square meter space houses installations in which the visitor experiences astonishment, euphoria and even mental confusion, depending on the immersion that each work proposes.

For those who prefer a deeper art, just cross the street and enter Rubell. The space is much older, created in 1990 by the collector couple Mera and Donald Rubell.

Considered one of the most important collections of contemporary art in the country, the collection brings together more than 7,000 works from the last 50 years, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

For those who can’t do without spending money, the Design District and the Brickell City Center shopping center can close the itinerary, with a somewhat forced mix of art, fashion and gastronomy.

In the Design District, while a tank top-wearing bon vivant parks his Ferrari, a gallery boasts a Picasso canvas with open doors. Across the street, the Korean restaurant Cote displays its Michelin star on the facade.

In the mall, luxury is more restrained, but there are stores of all brands and the Avant Gallery. Upon noticing the presence of Brazilians, manager Anna Serova smiles and comments: “Brazilians enjoy art, but don’t buy it.”

The journalist traveled at the invitation of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau