News | December 2, 2011

Art Basel: Celebrity Photographer Seth Browarnik Unveils Iconic Portraits at The Shelborne South Beach

News | December 2, 2011

By Casey Brooks

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On Wednesday, November 30th, The front door at the Shelbourne South Beach was a wild scene. Celebrities, VIPs and the who’s who of Miami lucky enough to slip past the velvet ropes toasted celebrity lensman Seth Browarnik as he unveiled his first-ever exhibit, Art of Night, with an intimate VIP dinner at the Shelborne South Beach’s Vesper American Brasserie, sponsored by Dom Perignon.Following dinner, Bing, the decision search engine by Microsoft, celebrated the official Grand Opening of the Shelborne South Beach and Browarnik’s Art of Night exhibit with an invite-only party, styled by iconic event producer, Susanne Bartsch who by far pulled off one of the must-see events of the week. The celeb studded, poolside bash, embraced the art of nightlife with outrageous elements including performance artists, a human disco ball, huge inflatable swans and a clear stage covering the Shelborne’s pool. Truly, an almost fantasy-like, indescribable sight.

Seth Browarnik’s five daylong display at the newly renovated Shelborne Hotel presents Browarnik’s artistic point of view, seeking out that which is sexy and wild in his subjects – a process that he calls “looking for the Miami energy” in his photos. Now, in the city that first inspired him, Browarnik unveils a series of never-before-seen portraits and candids of the glitterati from the inside. Curated by Rachel K. Ward, Browarnik’s Art of Night collection captures the last fifteen years of fame and fashion in forty-five frames of people such as Karl Lagerfeld, Yoko Ono, Jay Z, Dennis Hopper, Daphne Guinness and Michael Jackson, just to name a few of the icons on display.

As the opening night bash made its way past the hotel’s lobby, where DJ Paul Sevigny was on-hand spinning in the hotels newly restored black lounge, out to the sparkling deck of the brand new infinity pool, musical team DJ Mia Moretti and violinist Caitlin Moe provided pulsating club beats that kept the crowd dancing. The party didn’t stop after the poolside soiree, as guests brought the festivities with them to the Shelborne South Beach’s legendary basement karaoke lounge The

Studio until the early hours of the morning.

Those in attendance included Gabrielle Union, Pharrell, Ivana Trump, Paul Shaffer, Alanis Morissette, Mario and Ramona Singer, David Barton, and Menin Hotels’ Keith Menin and Jared Galbut.

For more on the Best of Basel, check out Haute Living’s What’s Haute: Guide to art Basel 2011

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