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<br />MIAMI, FLORIDA: WYNWOOO
<br />Located a mere block south of Miami's
<br />renowned Design District and a figurative
<br />million miles away from South Beach's
<br />sunglasses and bling-bling beach set, this
<br />raw industrial neighborhood has trans-
<br />formed itself from eyesore to eye-opener
<br />over the past few years.
<br />" " Wynwood's fIrst seed of renewal was
<br />planted in 1993, when New York art lovcrs
<br />, ",Dor,and Mera RubeU installed their siz-
<br />- .. able private collection in a former federal
<br />An exhibit at the Margulies Collection at the Ware.
<br />house in Miami's Wynwooo Art District, Drug Enforcement Agency warehouse for
<br />confIScated goods (its roof was riddled
<br />with bullet holes, they recall), and opened
<br />it to the public the following year,
<br />Ober-deveJoperlbny Goldman, who
<br />groomed mc's SoHo and Philly's Cen-
<br />ter City into thriving entities, swooped in
<br />a decade later along with other enterpris-
<br />ing collectors and gallery owners,
<br />lbday, at 70-some galleries and a grow-
<br />ing number of shops and restaurants, the
<br />district has become an open-air museum
<br />of sorts: The peeling, decrepit exteriors
<br />of most buildings have been replaced
<br />by avant-garde murals and
<br />graffiti, induding 2009's spe-
<br />cially commissioned Wynwood
<br />Walls, an enclave of warehouse
<br />walls painted by renowned
<br />street artists including Shep-
<br />ard Fairey and Os Gemeos,
<br />Wynwood is best accessed
<br />by car or taxi. Once there, the
<br />district is easily traversed by
<br />foot with free maps and guides
<br />available locally and online
<br />(www.arlcircuils.com).
<br />The doors to most galleries
<br />require a buzz-in for entry,
<br />A must-see, The Rubel! Family
<br />Collection encompasses both. the establish-
<br />ment aeff Koons, Cindy Sherman) and
<br />newer names, including Miami-based
<br />Cuban-American painters Jose Bedia
<br />and Heman Bas. Many Wynwood gal-
<br />leries-PanAmerlcan ArtProjects, Fredric
<br />Snitzer Gallery, and Rosa de Ia Cruz Collection
<br />among them-devote significant space
<br />and exhibitions to Latin American work,
<br />making the district the de facto pipeline of
<br />art from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and
<br />other south-of-the-border countries,
<br />Italian cafe Joey's serves up tasty, thin-
<br />crusted pizzas, while gallery-lounge Cafel-
<br />ft_ stirs up evenings with live DJ sets and
<br />artisanal tapas and cocktails,
<br />Homing in on the arts vibe, nearby
<br />hotels Four Seasons and Hotel Urbano at
<br />Brickell-the latter a former motor lodge
<br />turned sassy, budget-minded boutique-
<br />each feature a gallery's worth of work, .
<br />
<br />"
<br />Berlin is
<br />one of the
<br />world's
<br />foremost
<br />go-to titles
<br />for artists
<br />and bohe-
<br />mians."
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<br />BERLIN. GERMANY: MITTE
<br />Approximately one-third of Berlin's
<br />whopping SOO-some art spaces are con-
<br />centrated within the heart of the city-
<br />"Mine" means middle, after all ,The
<br />neighborhood also houses popular tourist
<br />attractions; hip retail flagships; the striking
<br />Holocaust memorial; and Museum Island,
<br />the northern half of a narrow isle on the
<br />Spree river occupied by five museums,
<br />"Mine's a good place to be because it has
<br />an international audience," says Urs
<br />Kuenzi of Substltut, a gallery
<br />showcasing S\\lSS art. "So many
<br />people are walking up and do\m
<br />and popping in."
<br />Streets on the must-stroll list
<br />include Heidestrasse, Brun-
<br />nenstrasse, and Augustrasse,
<br />Thanks to an abundance of in-
<br />expensive housing, Berlin is one
<br />of the world's foremost go-to
<br />cities for artists and bohemians,
<br />Their output is well represented
<br />in galleries and shops such as
<br />the local design outpost, Box Off
<br />Berlin, also known as bob.
<br />While the era of Checkpoint
<br />Charlie and the Berlin Wall is long gone,
<br />you can relive those Iron Curtain days at
<br />the interactive DDR Museum, which fd-
<br />tures a mock-up of a typical East G~iman
<br />living room, simulated drive in a Trabi. ,
<br />f-'
<br />automobile, and clips from inad.,~rtently
<br />kitschyTV shows, Berlin's history as the
<br />junction between East and West continues
<br />in its arts' scene. At best obscure to the
<br />world at large, Polish poster art receives a
<br />spotlight at PIgasus, which also stocks CDs
<br />from throughout the erstwhile Eastern
<br />B1oc,Also check out Redspectlve. for ex-
<br />hibitions and fashion by street artists and
<br />designers, Hello, cool 'f-shirts,
<br />There's a bargain-priced boutique hos-
<br />tel in the district. The Circus Hostel boasts
<br />free "crazy tours" of off-the-beaten-track
<br />sites and beds starting at 525, If craving
<br />bistro fare and local company, Altes Europa
<br />remains a Berliner's favorite.
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<br />SMART TRAVELER
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<br />TIU VHl.fi R, NA TrONA t,OBOO R.~I' IIrC.CO.\1 35
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