Miami's Museum of Graffiti, located in the Wynwood neighborhood, is hosting a new exhibition that chronicles the origins and development of graffiti and street art, timed to coincide with the annual Art Basel fair and its satellite shows. The museum, founded six years ago by Alan Ket, bills itself as the first museum in the world dedicated to graffiti and street art. The exhibition features works by artists like JonOne (Jon Perello), who began tagging New York subways as a teenager, and highlights key moments such as the 1973 Razor gallery show, which helped legitimize graffiti as an art form.
This exhibition matters because it underscores graffiti's evolution from an underground, often illegal activity to a globally recognized art movement embraced by luxury brands, cities, and the art market, with works by artists like Basquiat and Banksy selling for millions. However, the museum's founder argues that graffiti and street art have not yet received full recognition from the blue-chip art establishment, making the museum's mission to document and elevate this art form particularly significant. The show also contextualizes graffiti's journey from subway cars to galleries, reflecting broader shifts in how public and guerrilla art is valued.