Last weekend, Miami was able to dodge an immense hurricane just in time to embrace another storm of its own. iiiPoints Festival blew in local and foreign artists to construct a weekend to remember. In the heart of the town’s art district of Wynwood, the grounds welcomed over 25,000 people who attended the fourth annual music, art and technology festival.
To beat the South Florida heat, doors welcomed in a spectrum of bodies from sundown to the early morning. Hot basement parties came alive with underground sounds from renowned artist including Black Coffee and Dixon. The massive crowd swooned over Thievery Corporation, danced around with M83 and rejoiced once Flight Facilities made its first debut in Miami.
Surprises kept appearing throughout the weekend and no one held back. Redman and MethodMan threw down a nostalgic hip-hop performance. The show was briefly interrupted by a drone with tentacles that handed the duo enormous blunts to light up on stage soon followed by a genuine shout out to Miami for the unforeseen good energy.
Trick Daddy made a surprise appearance covering Earls Sweatshirt absence while Cam’ron followed a set by DJ Craze. Ta-ku generated a beautifully calming live set whose soothing vocals heavily contrasted to a very “live” set by Flying Lotus who was celebrating his birthday in full iiiPoint style.
Headliners were impressing but only one point out of the three that made up the festival. Mixtures of divergent art and progressive technology gave way to inspiring exhibitions . The festival gates opened to a labyrinth of containers. You could run into a meditation circle or a Tea Room depending on the corner. 
The FUSION designed and NASA-backed installation; Mars 2030; made its first debut at iiiPoints. The virtual reality produced by Julian Reyes literally took you to another planet- Mars. The 3D multi-sensory rendition was breathtaking as was walking around the venue. Miami artist Aileen Quintana, showcased numerous mannequins covered in gems and glitter parading around screens and projecting images as part of the Sunset@noon installation. Humongous crystals and immersing hanging headlamps captivated anyone looking for a good photo-op.
A successful year for the festival meant a successful year for Miami artists who took full advantage to show what their city has to offer. Local bands, DJs, and poets joined the vibrant Miami crowd creating a pristine culture of its own. Too many to name, right on time for the weekend, catch some local tunes and see what South Florida is cooking up.
Photos by Jason Koerner.
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