Lifestyle
Art Basel Miami Beach: The Tenth Year
Photo Shoot at Art/Public, Collins Park
Art Basel Miami Beach celebrated its tenth anniversary amidst the swirl of art fairs, museum shows, private exhibitions, parties and all manner of flagrant consumption. The number of private jets arriving for the week were equal to those of the Super Bowl. Restaurants and hotels were booked solid. Increasingly, art world veterans decry the circus atmosphere and swear they will not return. (Yet they do.) Newbies are awed by the scene and can’t get enough. The matrix of activity and choice during the Fair week in Miami is a reflection of the global art world itself. Engagement occurs at many different levels of access, knowledge and complexity.
Klara Kristalova, ceramic, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris
Art Basel, of course, is the banner event. The participating galleries are scrupulously vetted by a committee for the quality and contribution of their programs. Works on view are carefully selected by the gallerists for their impact, significance and potential profit. Often these works have been presented in advance of the Fair to the most important clients, who simply confirm the final purchase at the Fair. All details of installation, staffing, backroom inventory and after-hours entertainment are carefully orchestrated to maximize results among the wealthiest and most savvy collectors by the international array of dealers.
Ai Weiwei, sculpture from found trees, Galerie Urs Meile Beijing-Lucerne
At the satellite fairs, which numbered an astounding fourteen, galleries seek recognition for themselves and their artists and hope to cover their expenses. The stakes may be lower, but the desire to excel and be memorable is shared. Amidst the gaiety, camaraderie and sunshine, an underlying tension fuels a manic energy. Everyone feels compelled to go, do, see and spend. It’s a very big and competitive shopping trip.
Pablo Picasso at Helly Nahmad, New York
At Art Basel, the work on view is comprised primarily of historically significant artists, current market darlings, and anointed museum-caliber practitioners. Everyone agrees it is a visual feast at the highest level. After that, everyone disagrees as to which of the other fairs have merit. To a great extent, one’s preferences rest on taste level and budget, along with variables like the location and layout of the fair, the level of crowding, and the quality and accessibility of food, water, and the restroom.
Jeremy Thomas polychromed, corten steel sculpture, Charlotte Jackson of Santa Fe
Among the more prominent parallel fairs, Art Miami has the widest range of established galleries. Although there is a great deal of decorative and unchallenging work, serious work can be found as well. Goya Contemporary from Baltimore featured work by Yayoi Kusama, Lynda Benglis and Lee Ufan. JGM Galerie from Paris presented works by Tracey Emin and Erwin Wurm, who opened a major show at the Bass Museum during the Fair. Charlotte Jackson of Santa Fe had several polychromed sculptures by Jeremy Thomas.
Ayoi Kusama at Goya Contemporary
Gabriel Hartley, painting on canvas, on prepared wall
Nada is my favorite fair for younger work from edgier galleries. It’s best to arrive first thing, for the preview before the crowds become overwhelming, or go much later when the crowd has thinned. Of course, by then you will miss the hot bargains like the terrific gold flags by Andrew Schoultz at Locust Projects. (Schoulz is currently featured in a major exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, “Artists in Dialogue: Paul Klee and Andrew Schoultz.”)
Andrew Schoultz flag
Eleven Rivington of New York sold out their booth, which included Michael DeLucia and Valeska Soares. Foxy Productions featured a one-person show by Gabriel Hartley with specially prepared walls for his paintings. Ambach & Rice, recently transplanted from Seattle to Los Angeles, featured Ellen Lesperance and ceramic sculpture by Jeffry Mitchell. Artwork in ceramic was in high profile at many of the fairs including Art Basel.
Shahzia Sikander, detail, Todd Hosfelt, San Francisco-New York
Scope and Pulse are dominated by less sophisticated work. I find much of it gimmicky or trendy; but exceptions can always be found. At Pulse, Todd Hosfelt of San Francisco and New York offered a seminal work on paper by Shahzia Sikander. Daniel Weinberg of Los Angeles hosted a booth of small gems by Lee Bontecou, Darby Bannard, and James Siena.
Ugo Rondinone & Rachel Harrison, De La Cruz Collection, Miami
Aaron Curry, Albert Ohlen, De La Cruz Collection, Miami
Among the private collection spaces open to the public, the most rewarding was the De La Cruz collection located in the Design District. Each of three floors was installed very distinctly. Currently favored, high-profile artists like Thomas Houseago and Aaron Curry are juxtaposed with less-known artists such as Kathryn Andrews. The top floor featured work by conceptualists Gabriel Orozco and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. From Rudolf Stingel to Sterling Ruby, there was pleasure in examining many of the individual works.
Holly Hunt Showroom, Miami Design District
The Design District in Miami has some of the best furniture and design showrooms in the country. The Holly Hunt showroom is always a knockout. Special projects spaces also abound. This year Brazilian favorite, Beatriz Milhazes, was commissioned by the Fondation Cartier to do a special project titled “Aquarium.” It is a dazzling mobile composed of pearls and precious discs reminiscent of her paintings and collages, and perfectly attuned to the tenor of Miami and the Fair.
Beatriz Milhazes, commissioned sculpture, Fondation Cartier
In addition to the surfeit of art, culinary sustenance is abundant around town. I enjoyed the most memorable dinner at Ola at the Sanctuary Hotel in Miami Beach. It features spectacular Latin American cuisine. The Setai is breathtaking for cocktails or dining. For lunch or anytime, in the center of Miami’s emerging gallery district, is the festive Wynwood Kitchen and Bar. Replete with murals from Shepard Fairey and cohorts such as Kenny Scharf and Ryan McGinness, this is a great spot for small plates, an exotic beer or a sinful dulce de leche.
Shepard Fairey, painted mural, Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, Miami
Needless to say, there is so much going on in Miami during the Fair period, it is literally impossible to see everything. From the call of a sunrise walk on the beach to the late night soirées, it is a full-tilt affair. Most of us burn the candle at both ends and then crawl onto the return-flight home. Until next year…
