From the Screen to the Scene: Bumble Takes Things IRL for Not in Miami
Once upon a Miami night, a monolith appeared on a palm-lined street in the swanky Design District. Four sleek cobalt blue walls emanated a love spell, drawing a steady stream of colossal blacked-out SUVs in droves. Leather mini-skirted divas and their boucléd besties hopped out of their chariots to join the flood of fanfare pouring over the sidewalk outside Jungle Plaza. Foot traffic detoured across the street, and rubberneckers squinted to catch a glimpse of eager entrants to the downtown scene’s buzziest fête yet. A distant murmur of Kaytranada reverberated behind the towering surfaces as the security guard lifted his velvet rope and the queue pushed forward.
One by one, names were checked off a guest list. Digital cameras flew out of baguette bags, lipgloss was anxiously dabbed onto rouged faces, and the final spritzes of cologne were doused onto lapels. Unlike nearby parties promising attendees mere bragging rights and a morning headache, the stakes for this party’s attendance were much longer lasting—well, hopefully.
On the other side of the steep walls was their chance at love. And after all, wouldn’t you do anything for it?
As Art Basel heated up on December 5, Bumble kept things cool by bringing the 305’s hottest singles to mingle at a blowout fest celebrating their viral installation, The Art of Matchmaking. In partnership with Highsnobiety’s Not In Miami experiential series, the expert connections app brought their revolutionary digital algorithm to (real) life. By collaborating with Italian artist Alex Valentina, Bumble perfected the, well, art of their matchmaking software to pair guests to one of five artworks by the Milan-based multidisciplinarian by way of a simple six-prompt questionnaire powered by their innovative compatibility engine. By answering with their favorite cocktails and heartbreak home remedies, guests’ personalities were scored for compatibility. Who knew true love could be so uncomplicated?
Under a golden glow, partygoers stepped around the lofty façade into a splashy soirée as the buzz of conversation turned into a hum of anticipation. An indoor pool installation, brimming with Bumble-yellow beach balls greeted entrants as they slipped through the secured doors. Perched along its edges sat a lineup of VIP singles, effortlessly cool and clearly unbothered, snagging slider bites and watermelon salad from passing hors d’oeuvre plates. Social media maven Ashtin Earle sashayed across the floor as conversations momentarily paused and heads swiveled to follow her path to the parasoled bar. Indeed, another hot bombshell had entered the villa.
A house remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, befitting for a Miami poolside affair, soundtracked the space, peppered with pockets of coy laughter. DJ Mona Matsuoka grooved to her party-perfect playlist bellowing from the speakers above and stepped back to admire the connection-making at work. Mood? Set.
“My best pickup line?” a cargo-panted man fidgeted with the brim of his baseball cap in conversation with a bomber-jacketed friend. Their eyes followed a passing inamorata striding towards the bar. “I’d have to think about that. Want another drink?”
Before Bumble became this year’s art world must-attend host and a matchmaker for budding IRL connections, it was the cornerstone of modern dating, sparking countless “Where’d you meet?” conversations and leading uncuffed romantics to the unmistakable yellow app.
But when news broke that Bumble was hosting an in-person, phone-free soirée during the international art exhibition circuit, RSVP lists skyrocketed. Over 1,000 RSVPs, including TikTok creators chronicling their singlehood and singer-songwriters of heartbreak anthems, flocked to Vice City for a night of unplugged connections.
With phones tucked away (save for a few quick social posts), guests leaned into real-life chemistry, powered by face-to-face chats and endless libations and of course, that famous yellow app’s algorithm.
Naturally, this wouldn’t be a Bumble party without a bit of screen time. Beyond the throngs of mingling duos and alighted along a far wall sat five digital displays of Valentina’s compositions. Two glassy koi fish wriggling their way across a pastel gradient canvas. A juicy yellow plum oozing juice down a gleaming silver blade, accented by a translucent firefly and a beetle scaling its way to the source of sweetness. A concoction of flotsam-filled fluxing waves. A glassy brown eyeball peering out behind a veil of amber-hued petals. An empty crab shell atop a jet-black background enclosed by citrusy remnants.
No, there were no smiley selfies to review (“Do they have any photos with friends?”) or quippy bios to scrutinize (“Why’d they use that punctuation?”). Tonight, these were the profiles of each guest.
Alongside the oeuvre arrangement, Bumblers lined up at two screens to put their personality to the test—literally. After completing their love surveys, they received their matching artwork and corresponding colored bracelet. VIPs queued to read about their love profiles, a snapshot into their romantic tendencies, occasionally glancing sideways for a matching wristlet nearby.
A bleached eyebrow baddie was fitted for her green bracelet and flocked over to an adjacent potential paramour sporting a matching viridescent wristlet. They clinked their Love At First Mules topped with 1800 Tequila. Yep, sounds about right. Beneath the overhead roar of Channel Tres, their conversation was inaudible but their eyes were speaking volumes. They never lie, Chico.
Kitty Ca$h took to the controller as the “chaotic hot messes” exchanged phones to add yet another contact to their lists. The “free spirits” shared their sun, moon, and rising signs and laughed about their Scorpio exes. The “extroverts” introduced their plus ones to each other as they sipped on Amor Aguas. A flashbulb illuminated the room, capturing the first moments of newfound flames.
Lights dimmed as Peruvian-born and New York-raised A.CHAL’s sultry instrumental overtook the sound system. The flirting coteries condensed towards the pool’s diving board, desperate to get a closer stance. Along the pool’s edge, the vocalist thoughtfully inspected the crowd, his braids swaying to the Latin beat.
“Miami, how we feelin’?!” The R&B star jumped into the pool sending Bumble beach balls splashing into the crowd. Some fans snatched the inflatables, vowing to get an autograph after the show. Others raised their cell phones, front cameras ready to capture themselves enjoying the moment. Now that’s a Bumble profile pic.
Still haven't found your match? Click here to discover The Art of Matchmaking with Bumble.
