At the fifth annual Faena Art gala, Miami’s cultural vanguard convened poolside at the Faena Miami Beach to toast fourteen years of boundary-pushing creativity in the Magic City. The evening’s theme, “Follow Your Rainbow,” was more than a dress code; it was a fully immersive experience. Guests were ushered into a kaleidoscopic world where color reigned, and art, music, fashion and fire-roasted fare came together in technicolor defiance of the ordinary. Hosted, as always, by real estate impresario Alan Faena and his co-conspirator Grace Faena, the gala was both a fundraiser and a nod to the unique place Miami occupies in the global cultural conversation.
DJ Richie Hell’s beats set the tone for a feast helmed by two culinary powerhouses: legendary Argentine chef Francis Mallmann tended his signature open-fire Asado with theatrical flair, while Paul Qui, the James Beard Award winner, carved a colossal showstopping tuna. Rocky Lanes delivered a performance that held its own against the sensory overload. Among the visual highlights, Miami-based artist Francisca Oyhanarte turned heads (and won acclaim) in full rainbow regalia, reminding us that fashion and fine art aren’t such distant cousins.
One of the night’s most talked-about delights came courtesy of Joel Mesler, whose site-specific installation anchored the event’s creative ambitions. The art world’s presence didn’t end there—Christina Pettersson, Beatriz Chachamovits, Magnus Sodamin, Kelly Breez, Anabella Bergero, Antonia Wright, Edison Peñafiel, Jill Hotchkiss, Manuel Ameztoy and Danié Gómez Ortigoza all turned out, lending the step-and-repeat a distinctly painterly edge. The crowd of artists mingled easily with industry luminaries and patrons committed to shaping Miami’s cultural landscape. Among them were Jorge Pérez and Darlene Pérez, icons of PAMM patronage; Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, with Leena Infantino; gallerist Mindy Solomon; billionaire benefactors Len Blavatnik and Emily Blavatnik; Olivier François, the CEO of FIAT; model Vita Sidorkina-Morabito; and Karen Grimson, the cultural strategist behind the Craig Robins Collection and Dacra’s art programming.
While the chromatically charged atmosphere of the gala stole the show, the purpose was equally clear: proceeds from the party will go to support Faena Art’s programming, the Faena Prize for the Arts and vital educational initiatives aimed at empowering the next generation of artists working in Miami.
