If you ever find yourself in the market for an exquisite work of art from a juggernaut like Liechtenstein, Hirst, Haring, or Warhol, Marcel Katz has the hookup.
The Miami native has made a name for himself as an art dealer and agent in just a few years. At 30, Katz is the world’s youngest Salvador Dali dealer with access to artists from over 70 world renowned artists. Also known as The Art Plug, Katz’s arsenal spans from artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and George Condo to newly emerging artists like CB Hoyo and Detroitwick.
Finding His Creative Outlet
Marcel grew up traveling the world with his family, visiting France every summer where his older brother was an art curator. Although he had many early exposures to art growing up, Marcel’s career in art began in the nightclubs of Miami. Working his way up from a promoter to creative director of the legendary Opium Group, Katz began to curate art for the venues he worked with and build relationships with artists, all while building a sizable art collection of his own.
“I had a bunch of art on my walls and eventually I just started selling art out of my house. One piece a month turned into two pieces and it snowballed and my brand grew.”
Power Plays
In 2017, Marcel launched The Art Plug branding agency and the Marcel Katz Art dealership/pop up gallery. These endeavors have led to collaborations with Atlantic Records, Adidas, and Rolling Loud just to name a few.
Last year, The Art Plug Powerhouse, a multi-sensory art extravaganza, took Art Basel by storm and was attended by over 3000 people in a massive police impound lot. The event featured a one of a kind demolition derby performance art piece called Maximum Exposure.
In collaboration with prolific Miami street artist Aholsniffsglue, rows of cars turned canvases were demolished by a monster truck followed by a motocross show. “We are crushing these art cars, basically saying ‘let’s do something different and accept the not-normal.’ It’s like a giant fuck you to everyone else.”
Last year was completely over the top and this year is gearing up to be even bigger. The Art Plug Powerhouse 2019 will take place at The Citadel with a kickoff party on the rooftop of the Design District’s Museum Garage. Like last year, Powerhouse will have a collaboration with Lyft that will bring attendees home in custom wrapped cars.
During Miami Art Week, Marcel Katz will be a must-see speaker for all true art enthusiasts at the Grit Daily Art Summit December 6-7.
