ART BASEL MIAMI
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 8:43PM 
Jeffrey Deitch Presents: Beth Ditto of The Gossip, The Raleigh Oasis, South Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach
4 – 7 December 2008
South Beach, Miami
The Seventh edition of Art Basel Miami got off to a running start with a private view on December 3rd at the Miami Beach Convention Center. From there on celebrations fired up all over South Beach with Jeffrey Deitch stoking the coals at the Raleigh’s Oasis where he hosted a party featuring The Gossip fronted by Beth Ditto, who came to fame in 2006 when the NME named her the “coolest person in rock!” The Kingpins warmed it up for Ditto who came crashing onto the stage belting out one feminist anthem after the next spliced with vaudevillian style comedy bits slagging off Republicans and championing same sex marriage.
Other highlights from the week included Diana Al-Hadid in THE STATION curated by Shamim Momin and Nate Lowman; The Rubell Family Collection’s current exhibition 30 Americans; the Pig presents, a group show at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin; David LaChapelle’s Jesus is my Homeboy at Wolfgang Roth; Art HK 09’s breakfast reception at the Sanctuary with a interesting talk on Asian Art by Dr. Charles Merewether; Kelly Klein’s launch of Horses at the Raleigh; tarSIZ cocktail reception to celebrate the publication of Rachel Feinstein’s new book; The Krug-sponsored Visionaire Magazine launch on the sand at the Raleigh; Interview Magazine’s soiree on the plaza of the Miami Art Museum—the drive-in movie style screening of the new issue highlights was supremely staged.
As the week came to a close, Franca Sozzani hosted an elegant dinner to celebrate the new edition of L’Uomo Vogue at Casa Tua; and locals Al Gillio and Paul Bernstein invited an eclectic mix of art world-ers to their waterfront pad for a late-night gig. As if anyone had time to visit the upteem art fairs surrounding the big fair not to mention Design Miami – bored yet?! When all’s said and done if it’s truly the new best thing you’re in the market for, the NADA Fair at the Ice Palace was where it was at.