CELEBRATING STREET ART
by Selina Denman

Construction Week Online
Oct 12, 2009

Sushi Samba will present a selection of work by the world’s top street
artists during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Taking place between December 4 and 6, the Graffiti Gone Global
exhibition will be curated by James and Karla Murray, authors of
best-selling titles such as Store Front – The Disappearing Face of
New York, Miami Graffiti, Broken Windows and Burning New York.

The groundbreaking exhibition is set to take place within a 4,000ft²
venue in the Midtown Arts District, and will be the largest of its
kind in Miami. The opening VIP preview will take place on December 3.

Extending beyond the typical white walls of an art fair, Sushi Samba
has commissioned Miami-based architect HOX to design a sprawling,
Brazilian-inspired favela structure for Graffiti Gone Global.

HOX’s exhibition design consists of interlocking components of
wood and steel that can be detached and sold as separate units,
some of which will bear a signature graffiti piece. In addition,
custom furniture designed by several of the participating artists
will be available for purchase.

Shimon Bokovza, concept developer of Sushi Samba restaurants, Sugarcane
Lounge and Graffiti Gone Global, along with partners Danielle Billera
and Matt Johnson, has consistently demonstrated his support for
street artists.

In addition to producing previous exhibitions such as Ginzatropicalia,
he has commissioned site-specific street art in Sushi Samba restaurants
throughout the country. The recently opened Sugarcane Lounge in
Las Vegas, for example, features work from Brazilian artist ‘Flip’
Felipe Yung.

"Bringing art to Sushi Samba is something that is a natural evolution
in our whole concept and experience," said Bokovza. "We would only
call upon the best talent to execute a dream that was sparked with
the inception of Art Basel."

Exhibiting artists include 131 projects from Argentina, Aiko Nakagawa,
Suiko and Shiro from Japan, Armogedon 2057 from Armenia, Billi ome
from Miami.