A suspect has been arrested after a woman was injured in a stabbing incident within the main Art Basel fair, at the Miami Beach convention Centre. The altercation took place at 5:15 yesterday evening, in the fair’s Nova section.
The assailant has been identified as 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao, of New York. The woman who was in a distressed state, accused the victim of following her and repeatedly bumping into her. According to police, Zhao responded by stabbing her in the arms and neck. The injuries were non-life threatening, however it caused a substantial loss of blood. The young victim was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Zhao was arrested and according to police reports, told officers “I had to kill her and two more!” and “I had to watch her bleed!” Zhao is now facing an attempted murder charge.
Several visitors to the fair thought the stabbing, was performance art and looked on at the pair, responding as an audience. Even when the police arrived and taped off the area, some people mistook the incident as part of an installation.
Art Basel Miami Beach is an annual event and the American version of the Art Basel Fair held in Switzerland. It is a popular event attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world.
Photo: Rudy Perez, courtesy the Miami Herald and Twitter