The who’s who of art and culture convened for a week of exhibitions and events during Miami Art Week 2025, hosted Dec. 1-7, and once again, a horde of brands infiltrated the landscape with the typical invite-only, closed-door experiences that have historically dominated the scene. Even McDonald’s, the unlikeliest of companies to show up, hosted a VIP-only event.
But it wasn’t all velvet ropes and yacht bashes. A variety of businesses prioritized the art of engagement over celebrity guests, and the results speak for themselves. Following are 12 steal-worthy experiential ideas plucked straight from the shores of Miami Beach.
AMERICAN EXPRESS & DELTA’S ART ATLASES
Delta Air Lines and American Express marked their third year at Untitled Art, Miami Beach as an official partner, this year setting up shop with The Artscape Lounge. The beachside footprint offered select Amex card members curated f&b from James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, and a series of artist collabs.
But it was the travel-themed touchpoints that caught our attention. Each vignette within the lounge highlighted a different art-centric destination on Delta’s flight routes, and included bespoke artwork and design elements that captured that city’s spirit. In the same vein, attendees could craft their own personalized “Art Atlas” on an interactive digital screen to inspire their future travels. (Agency: Day One Agency)
Photos: Courtesy of American Express and Delta Air Lines
CAPITAL ONE’S CINEMATIC INSTALLATION
Capital One and The Cultivist returned to Miami Art Week in partnership with acclaimed artist Alex Prager to sponsor her dreamy cinematic installation, dubbed The Mirage Factory. Hosted at The Shelborne by Proper hotel, the experience was an homage to Hollywood’s Golden Age and was purposely dramatized in a tribute to old Hollywood myths.
The multiroom space encompassed elements like a faux orange grove, ambassadors dressed in retro usher uniforms, a detailed installation of Hollywood Boulevard set during dusk, and appearances by of-the-era characters. The final room served as a recreation of L.A.’s historic Griffith Park Garden, and was awash in emerald green as a nod to “The Wizard of Oz.” A faux pool in the middle of the space featured a pair of legs emerging from the water wearing ruby-red heels.
(The deal was even sweeter for Capital One card members, who had access to a dinner curated by chef Dave Beran and an intimate performance by Diana Ross.)
CHASE’S WELLNESS OASIS
Art Week is brimming with late-night soirees and jam-packed schedules, so it’s no surprise that Chase (and a collection of sponsors) popped up with The Wellness Oasis, featuring two full days of “mind, body and spirit” programming at Reserve Miami Seaplane. Physical and mental health experts led workshops, workouts and panels themed around self-care and destressing. Healthy refreshments and opportunities to connect with like-minded people were also in the mix. Ohm… (Partner: 4B Advisory)
CHASE SAPPHIRE’S EDIBLE LIBRARY
Chase’s Sapphire Reserve arm also made waves on Miami Beach thanks to its presenting sponsorship of Faena Art Week. In fact, renowned artist and campaign partner Es Devlin and her revolving library, a 50-foot-wide, rotating sculpture dubbed “Library of Us,” were the talk of the town throughout Miami Art Week.
Comprised of 2,500 books that shaped the artist’s personal philosophy and creative process, and positioned on a circular reflecting pool, the piece was open to the public and designed for the “architecture of encounter,” meaning the artist aimed to spark conversations among strangers through the artwork.
But for one night, ahead of the artwork’s public debut, invited guests got to experience something even more immersive: an Edible Library Dinner curated by Devlin herself. The artist translated text from select books within her installation into sensory dishes that were served to attendees sitting at communal tables, which slowly revolved around the library. Guests were encouraged to move around, shift tables and exchange ideas while physically experiencing the concept behind the artwork via cuisine.
DOORDASH’S SANDCASTLE RESTAURANT
DoorDash made childhood dreams come true with The Sand CastleDonna, a real-life sandcastle that functioned as a limited-time restaurant. In partnership with Casadonna, consumers could sign up to dine in the unique venue for free by using the new in-app DoorDash Reservations feature. Those who scored seats experienced either a three-course lunch or four-course dinner featuring Casadonna’s signature Italian dishes.
Naturally, erecting a life-size sandcastle was a true feat of engineering. The Sand CastleDonna was built using 100 tons of real sand, included full turrets and a custom-built dining interior, surrounded attendees in 120-plus real plants and trees, and featured a reusable structural frame. And it took more than 40 specialists, from scenic artists to blacksmiths, to make it happen. (Agency: MikeTeevee)
Photos: Courtesy of DoorDash
DORSIA’S TIME-BENDING INSTALLATION
Dorsia, a members-only hospitality platform that provides access to exclusive dining and event reservations, had a multifaceted presence in Miami. But it was a Time Drop art installation—which first appeared at the 2025 Burning Man Festival—that took the cake from an experiential perspective.
The all-encompassing, 30-by-10-foot installation was crafted by mechanical engineer and artist Jordan MacHardy, and comprised light, sound, (real) water and reflective surfaces. Those who interacted with the sensory space had the opportunity to control the flow of water and sound and, more remarkably, “alter” time with the subtle turn of a knob.
Surrounded by a wall of mirrors, participants watched as “eagle tears” dripped from the ceiling into a glowing digital garden. By turning mechanical knobs within the space one way, they turned the scene into slow motion. When they turned it back, the moment reversed, with the water droplets rising back up into the eagle’s eyes, before beginning their descent all over again. (Agency: Bacchus)
Photos: Courtesy of Dorsia
FIRST RESPONSE’S BATHROOM TAKEOVERS
First Response isn’t the first company most people think of when it comes to Miami Art Week, but the brand surprised attendees of NYLON House (BDG’s traveling experiential property) with an activation spanning pink-infused bathroom takeovers, “late-night emergency” pregnancy kits and candid interviews on reproductive health with celebrities and influencers. Who says personal care brands can’t make an impact at high-profile events?
Photo credit: Jade Greene
IKEA’S WHIMSICAL SHOWROOMS
Following its Sleepeasy Event in 2024, IKEA returned to Art Week with an Open House experience themed around play and featuring a series of whimsical showrooms that helped the brand unveil a new global product line designed to “spark childhood wonder and integrate play into everyday home furnishings.”
The space included funky textures (think: pool noodles), vibrant color schemes and content-ready touchpoints, like a “pool” filled with pillows and a claw machine big enough to stand inside. IKEA’s 2026 Color of the Year, Rebel Pink, was also dominant throughout the playground-like environment, showing up in the form of furry textures and home furnishings.
LAVAZZA’S HUMAN PLEASURES
The mantra driving Lavazza’s 2026 calendar, “Pleasure makes us human,” which captures life in Italy, was at the core of its Miami Art Week presence, including our favorite aspect, “The Calendar Experience.” The experiential photo exhibition was hosted at Luxury Living Miami and with the help of retro design elements, brought the calendar, and its contemporary dolce-vita-style photos, to life.
The exhibit was open to the public for three days, offering visual displays to interact with; a full café menu of free Lavazza beverages, including its famed Tiramisu Coffee; and playful, pleasurable touchpoints, like a bocce court, an oversized mug photo op and a beach vignette with real sand.
Photo: Courtesy of Lavazza
LEXUS’ BIOLUMINESCENT DINNER
The industry insiders and media members invited to Lexus’ intimate dinner were in for an illuminating evening. Literally. Within its pop-up beach club, the brand hosted a bioluminescent culinary experience built to reflects Lexus’ craftsmanship, and position cuisine as a form of both art and storytelling. Attendees were treated to a glowing multicourse meal crafted by James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi and surrounded by sophisticated design elements, while the exterior of the venue featured a custom-painted Lexus convertible. (Agency: Czarnowski)
Photos: Courtesy of Lexus
PERRIER-JOUËT’S PLANT PULSES
Have you ever heard plants speak? Meet Perrier-Jouët’s “Plant Pulses” installation, created in partnership with designer and artist Marcin Rusak, which sat at the intersection of science, design, sustainability and innovation. The resin-encased botanical sculpture, which housed vines and plants from the Champagne region of France, was available for observation at Faena Beach from Dec. 2-7 as part of the Design Miami art fair, and helped underscore the brand’s commitment to sustainability.
The work, billed as a sensory ecosystem, translated scientific research conducted by Rusak in collaboration with AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland on plant dialogue into a sensory experience that invited observers to reevaluate how humans listen to and learn from nature.
In short, Rusak transformed the (typically inaudible) ultrasonic signals that plants use to communicate to one another into a three-part soundscape that allowed attendees to listen in as the plants underwent water stress, then recovery. The result was a display of light and sound, including imagery representing cycles found in nature projected across a semicircular screen behind the installation. (Agency: Bacchus)
SPANX X PANTONE’S RED GALLERY
Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year may be the controversial Cloud Dancer, but it was a new hue, Spanx Red, that took center stage in Miami. The two brands teamed up to deliver a striking Spanx Red Gallery pop-up that offered attendees a chance to see, and feel, items from the brand’s new collection in an exhibition-style display. Within the monochromatic space, visitors were also treated to bites, drinks, a fragrance-making experience, a custom embroidery station, photo booths and music. (Build: The4Luis)
