The VICE Guide to Miami Art Fairs - Ryan Mcginley

Ryan is going to zip around on a scooter at the fair! That’s a great idea! Imagine how much fun he’s going to have? Maybe you should get a scooter too! Maybe we should all get scooters and ride down together! We’ll be like a gang! It’ll be like

The Wild One

! Except in color… and really, really slow.

Self-Portrait by Ryan McGinley

Vice: How do get to Basel when you go to Basel?

Ryan McGinley:

JetBlue has cheap flights to Fort Lauderdale. Or you can drive down from the city in about 20 hours. One time I got to go on a collector’s private jet. That was fun.

How do you get around Miami?

I rent a scooter when I’m down there. It makes it easier to get back and forth over the bridge to what’s going on in the design district and the NADA fair.

You’re a seasoned Basel-goer, do you have any tips for a someone who’s going for the first time?

Make sure you make a great playlist on your iPod to walk through the fair. That way you can block out all the wheeling and dealing and focus on the art.

Do art fairs straight suck balls?

People dislike art fairs because of obvious reasons like how the art is all crammed together and sold, like in a supermarket. But if you get over that, art fairs are a great way to see amazing work from all over the world.

Do you ever feel sick from looking at too much stuff?

I admit it’s a visual overload, but wouldn’t you rather be overloaded with art than anything else?

Where do you stay down there? I’m not a stalker or anything…

I always stay at the Indian Creek Hotel. In 2005 Bruce Weber took my portrait and put me up there. He said it was one of his favorite hotels in Miami. It’s a bit out of the way but that’s why I like it.

Define “out of the way.”

In Miami if you are not on Collins Avenue you are out of the way.

What should I do if I get hungry?

The falafel place on Collins is the spot to eat. Late night and early morning.

Anything else I should know?

Don’t forget to see the containers/statements on the beach and make sure to see the NADA fair—it’s the younger fair that you’ll see great new work at.