Art Basel is a celebration of thinking outside the box, presenting art and design with a little food for thought. At The Standard Spa, Miami Beach, we took the assignment literally with a line of inflatable Pool Pasta. The pool noodles, created with NYC design firm Jumbo, made their debut during our Sunday poolside barbecue. For a few hours, the Spa’s famed pool scene became a scene from an Italian restaurant, alle Basel.
The shapes are inspired by familiar Italian culinary forms: macaroni, shells, farfalle, rigatoni, lasagna, tortellini, and ravioli, that feel right at home in a “pot” of water. Designed to be lounged on, each design translates its pasta inspiration into an “Emoji-fied” form. The concept is equal parts absurd and intuitive—destined to satisfy oversized appetites for R&R. You can shop the collection of Pool Pasta at The Standard Shop.
“Unlike an avocado or pizza slice, pasta cooks in a pot of water and is served in a bowl —so it’s easy to imagine these shapes in the context of a pool,” said the team at Jumbo. “Furthermore, we found it appealing to imagine pasta quite large or yourself quite small, as if you were swimming in a bowl of your favorite comfort food. This installation touches on the delight of the miniature, or more precisely, on the delight of the miniature-made-large.”
During our Basel barbecue, guests got tarot readings and temporary tattoos—before relaxing on the bay at sunset. Arty types browsed our pop-up shop by Eliou and palled around with lawn games and four-legged friends.
"This installation touches on the delight of the miniature, or more precisely, on the delight of the miniature-made-large.” — Jumbo
A who’s who of the global art and fashion set gathered at The Standard Spa for a Sarabande Foundation dinner. The organization, founded by the late designer Lee Alexander McQueen funds scholarships, residencies and other creative opportunities for emerging artists.
Sarabande president Francesca Amfitheatrof, gallerist Marianne Boesky, and artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan were among the guests who shared cocktails and conversation before a performance by artist Izaak Brandt. Brandt completed a Sarabande residency in London in 2020 and gave a performance utilizing dozens of sneakers, cardboard and fishing wire.
Guests took home the Foundation’s signature plates—designed by luminaries like McQueen himself, Ridley Scott and Jake Chapman. Take a peek at scenes from the evening here:
Meanwhile, The Standard re-teamed with artist Nicolás Villamizar (known to art aficionados as Äcondieresis), who painted a lively mural at the hotel. Villamizar previously created panels of “frisky figures” at The Standard, Ibiza, and brings his gestural forms to Miami in a new resort context—this time, outdoors. His work draws upon layers of references from the works of Grand Masters to choreography and the human form.
"In each of the murals that I paint, I like to bring to the wall what inspires me from the outside context; I think of a scenario where the line is a musical thread that guides us through the environment," said Villamizar.
